“We still average 53” - When Gautam Gambhir defended his opening partnership with Virender Sehwag amid the pair’s poor form

Back in 2012, then Team India batter Gautam Gambhir defended the opening partnership with his partner Virender Sehwag. The pair had opened the batting when England toured India back in 2012.

Gambhir and Sehwag were widely regarded as one of the best opening pairs for Team India in Tests and ODIs. In the longest format of the game, the duo opened in 87 innings and scored 4,412 runs, with the highest partnership worth 233 runs.

However, the pair had dwindling returns when England toured India in 2012. In a media interaction, Gambhir defended themselves and called them 'one of the best when it comes to opening the batting in world cricket'.

He said (to PTI):

"We still average 53 as an opening pair, which I think is one of the best when it comes to opening the batting in world cricket, there are not many opening pairs who have played for such a long time and have an average of 53 per innings. And if 53 is not good enough, I don't know what is good enough. "

"As an opening pair, you average 50 per inning and if you are giving 50 runs start in every innings, you can't do more and if people talk about not contributing, I will suggest them to look at the stats," Gambhir added.

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Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag were one of the best opening pairs for Team India

Delhi batters Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag were regarded by many as one of the best opening pairs Team India have ever witnessed. The duo opened together for the first time in Tests back in 2004 and continued until 2012, scoring 4412 runs at an average of 52.52.

In ODIs, the pair have opened on 38 occasions from 2003 to 2013 and scored 1870 runs at an average of 50.54. The duo were later dropped from the national side, eventually being replaced by Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma.