Cricket: Gambhir times his runs perfectly

Gautam Gambhir curbed his natural attacking instinct to help save the second test in Napier. Photo / Getty Images

Gautam Gambhir hasn't always seemed to show the temperament required to save a cricket test - after all he has been suspended from one for a skirmish with an opposition bowler.

The diminutive Indian famously elbowed Australia's Shane Watson aside during a tetchy third test in Delhi last October, an act that drew a one-match suspension.

He had previous form as well.

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi was on the receiving end of another physical altercation during the limited overs phase of the Delhi opener's sporadic international career.

Those indiscretions hardly appeared appropriate behaviour for an opening batsman designated as the foil to Virender Sehwag's high-risk strokeplay.

But the 27-year-old showed a gentler side at McLean Park as he crafted a career-defining innings between Saturday evening and Monday afternoon - almost 11 hours of defiance that was pivotal in India denying New Zealand victory in the second test.

Of the five hundreds recorded during the stalemate, it was Gambhir's that easily proved the most influential.

While Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder dragged New Zealand from 23 for three before Brendon McCullum had free rein; Gambhir confronted a 314-run first innings deficit when he started India's fight for survival with a flighty Sehwag.

Gambhir chipped away at the deficit mechanically, curbing his natural desire to attack by demoralising New Zealand's bowlers with a display of patience and discipline.

He was culpable when India's first innings floundered - showing scant respect for Jeetan Patel he walked down the pitch and mistimed the offspinner to Daniel Vettori for 16.

But there was barely a hint of his impetuous streak second time round as Gambhir's marathon 137 was accumulated from 436 deliveries - easily the longest innings of his 24-test career.

Gambhir's previous best was 380 balls for the career-high 206 that irritated Watson and company on his home ground.

Steady scoring was never the priority for Gambhir in Napier, he was happy to crib one run an hour, or 13 a session as his concentration barely wavered.

When he finally departed after 642 minutes at the crease, India were 42 runs in front, the game all but safe.

Gambhir arrived in New Zealand as the lesser-known member of a star-studded batting unit, and it has taken almost seven years to fine-tune his technique and cement a place in India's test and limited overs teams.

Australia detected a weakness outside off stump when he debuted at Mumbai in 2004 and exploited it ruthlessly. Runs against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh did not convince the selectors and a lean home series against Sri Lanka in 2005 saw him exiled.

He had India's woeful World Cup campaign in the Caribbean two years ago to thank for his first lifeline through the one-day format, while the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup also enhanced his reputation.

After scoring heavily for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, Gambhir was invited on the test tour of Sri Lanka in mid-2008 when Wasim Jaffer was ditched and responded with three fifties in six innings. However, it was the series against Australia that now sees him as indispensable against the new red ball.

Since then he has amassed 1100 runs in seven tests at a remarkable 84.61 including four centuries and a 97 against England in December.

Heading into the third and final test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve here on Friday, Gambhir has 2081 runs at 52.02.

Although he was sloth-like in Napier and reduced his career strike rate to 51.40 per hundred balls, obviously none of his teammates were critical.

Rahul Dravid saw similarities between Gambhir's devotion to the cause and many of his own time-consuming defensive exercises.

"He's showed a lot of character and a lot of temperament. I think he'll learn more from this innings than any other he has played in his career," said Dravied, who is nick-named "The Wall".

"This showed he can read a situation and play differently depending on what is required."

Sehwag cited Gambhir as the reason India has a 1-0 lead and his unbeaten record as captain is intact after two tests.

"Gautam played his lifetime innings," he said.

"He's the only one who saved the game for us. I think we can call him the second `Wall' of the Indian cricket team."

- NZPA