When on the field, there was hardly any cricketer fiercer than former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir.
The elegant southpaw found a purple-patch during the 2008-09 season for which he was also awarded the ‘ICC Test Player of the Year’ trophy. The highlight of the-run scoring spree arrived during the 2008 Feroz Shah Kotla Test match between India and Australia
In the third Test match of the 2008 Border-Gavaskar series, Gambhir scored his career-best 206, which consisted of 26 boundaries and a maximum.
VVS Laxman supported him well at the other end and slammed an unbeaten 200. However, during Gambhir’s mega-knock, he was involved in several scuffles with Shane Watson as well as Simon Katich.
While taking a second run off a delivery from Watson, Gambhir seemingly elbowed the Aussie on his way back from the non-striker’s end. Later, Gambhir pleaded guilty of breaching ICC Code of Conduct and was slapped a one-match ban.
“Shane Watson! And the reason is I didn’t do that intentionally. Actually, I got banned after that game. A lot of people say that I elbowed him, but I didn’t do that purposely,” Gambhir was quoted as saying in the Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected’.
In Gambhir words, he adhered to advice dispensed by the then Indian head coach, Gary Kirsten.
“When I was going for the hearing to the match, Gary Kirsten told me to accept it as it is Chris Broad. He will give you extra sympathy and he is not going to ban you. I went inside with Gary Kirsten and he asked if you accept your mistake. I said ‘Yes’ and he said you are banned,” added the cricketer-turned-politician.
During the conversation with Irfan Pathan, he was asked whether he was involved in any altercations with his teammates. “I don’t think we ever had a heated argument,” replied Gambhir. Never! The world has seen whatever heated arguments I have had,” he concluded.
