Gautam Gambhir will have to wait for his chance: Sourav Ganguly

Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir (L-R)

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has said that opening batsman Gautam Gambhir will have to wait for his chance to make the playing 11 in India’s tour of England. Gambhir, who last represented India in a Test match back in December 2012, has been included in the squad for the 5-match Test series against England, which starts from July.

Ganguly expects Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay, India’s current set of openers, to start in the first couple of Test matches, as they have done a reasonable job in India’s last two overseas tours, to South Africa and New Zealand.

He said: “Shikhar and Vijay have done well as openers, but, in a five-Test series, the weather and wickets will be dodgy and Gambhir’s chance will come.”

On what could have prompted the selectors to go back to Gambhir, who hasn’t done much with the bat in the First-class circuit after being dropped, the 41-year-old said: “It is good to see Gambhir in the squad. The selectors needed a third opener and with Virender Sehwag not getting big runs in the IPL, they have gone back to Gambhir.”

Sehwag’s average of 19.50 in the ranji season gave the selectors no other choice other than to ignore him, whereas Gambhir finished as Delhi’s highest run getter with an average of 48.16.