Already the top ranked Test batsman in the ICC evaluation table, he missed out on equaling the great Don Bradman in the recently concluded second Test against Bangladesh at Mirpur.
Bangladesh gave just 2 runs for India in the second innings to win the Test, and left Gambhir stranded for a shot at his sixth consecutive Test match with an individual century score.
Gambhir set off on a remarkable batting drive in October 2008, and is still running on top gear as I write this.
October 2008, 15 months and 11 Test matches ago, was the last time that Gambhir failed to score at least a 50 in a Test match.
Since the first Test in the series against Australia at Bangalore, Gambhir's string of scores reads like this:
67+104 ... 206+36 ... 19+66 ... 179+97(ouch) ... 72+30NO ... 16+137 ... 23+167 ... 1+114 ... 167 ... 23+116 ... 68+0NO.
A total of 11 Test matches, 23 innings in which he has accumulated 1708 runs with 8 centuries (almost 9) and 5 fifties at 81 runs per innings.
The reason for talking about this string ? Gambhir may have lost out on the opportunity to equal the great Don Bradman's record of most successive Test matches with a century score, however he is now in a tussle with another great for another record. Gambhir is now on the brink of breaking a relatively unpublicized but significant record set by Sir Viv Richards.
Sir Richards and Gautam Gambhir, both now have 11 consecutive Test matches with at least a fifty score in an inning. If Gambhir manages a fifty in the first Test against South Africa, he trumps this record.
Go Gambhir !
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