IND vs SL: When You Get Such An Opportunity, You Should Not Make Just A Fifty – Gautam Gambhir Gives His Opinion On Hanuma Vihari's Knock In Mohali Test

Former Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir, while talking about Hanuma Vihari’s performance in the first Test match of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka National Cricket Team, said that a half-century is not enough when a batter gets an opportunity to play on batting-friendly tracks.

Hanuma Vihari, while batting at No.3 at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh, scored 58 runs off 128 balls including 5 fours in the first innings of the match.

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During a discussion on Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir was questioned about Vihari’s performance to which he replied by saying that he can’t pass judgement on Vihari on the basis of his performance on Mohali surface because even pacer Shami looked comfortable while batting on that surface.

“It is very difficult to judge on this wicket. I will not judge Hanuma Vihari based on what he did on this wicket, I will judge him on what he has done overall in Test cricket to date because all batters, in fact even Mohammed Shami, looked comfortable on this pitch,” he asserted.

A player who can make the No. 3 position his own for a long time – Gautam Gambhir on Hanuma Vihari

Gambhir added that the way Vihari has played in Sydney and South Africa, he looks like a player who can be India’s No.3 in Test cricket for a long time.

“The sort of innings Hanuma Vihari played in Sydney, how assured he looked in South Africa, if you see from that angle, then a player who can make the No. 3 position his own for a long time.

“But when you get such an opportunity, you should not make just a fifty but convert it into a 150, 200 or 250. I know it’s easier said than done because there is just one ball for a batter but you get such conditions in Test cricket very rarely,” he stated.

He also recalled a small piece of advice current India head coach Rahul Dravid had given him when he smashed his first Test century.

“Rahul Dravid had told me one thing in Bangladesh when I had made my first Test hundred, that you will get such conditions or pitches in your career probably just two or three times.

“So if you get set, make the big runs because all the Tests after this will be in tougher conditions and that was the best advice for me in Test cricket,” Gambhir maintained.

Also Read: IND vs SL: Ravichandran Ashwin’s Impact Has Been Close To That Of Kapil Dev – Gautam Gambhir

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