Feisty and firm, capricious and correct, insatiable and insecure, Gautam Gambhir was one of the most complete batsmen between 2008 and the 2011 World Cup. He opened well in all three forms of the game. He could be more aggressive than Virender Sehwag, played the kind of back-to-the-wall innings that would do Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman proud, and accumulated without taking any risks, much like Sachin Tendulkar has been doing in the last quarter of his career. Either side of that period, though, lived disappointment with his technical flaws dominating his other attributes.
Gambhir almost didn't make it, "not wanting to play anymore" when he was dropped for the 2007 World Cup. For about eight first years of his career, he was the domestic cheque that would not be honoured at international level. While the bowlers on the Ranji circuit swore by this little left-hand batsman, he had just two international centuries to show after 13 Tests and 19 ODIs when he was left out of the World Cup party.
He came back with massive runs in domestic cricket, a few important technical adjustments, and with the reputation of being the best player of spin in India, outside the international side. A century in his second ODI back and a final-winning fifty in the inaugural World Twenty20 paved the way for his Test return. Test fifties against Murali and Mendis in the summer of Murali and Mendis in 2008 told him he belonged. In his next 13 Tests, he scored eight centuries: centuries to set up wins, centuries to bat opposition out, and centuries to hold on for draws, including the near 11-hour marathon in Napier. The Arjuna Award came his way, the ICC named him the Test player of 2009, but much more tellingly Sehwag called him the best Indian Test opener since Sunil Gavaskar. He scored a match-winning 97 in the 2011 World Cup final.

After the World Cup, though, began a more serious, almost terminal decline. As the Indian Test side went from sublime to ridiculous, Gambhir's failures went unpunished. In England and Australia, where India lost eight continuous Tests, Gambhir was a walking wicket, poking at deliveries outside off. From being a captaincy candidate at one time, he went to struggling to keep his place in the side.
Sidharth Monga

• 1999-2000
  Disappointment, and breakthrough
  • Is not picked for the Under-19 World Cup that India win in Sri Lanka, but makes his first-class debut for Delhi as an 18-year-old. Manages a fifty in the two matches he gets in his first season.
    
• January-February, 2002
  Two matches, two doubles
  • Has cemented his place in the Delhi side with a spate of fifties, but the big ones arrive in his third season. Scores 214 against Railways, and is selected for the Board President's XI to play the touring Zimbabweans. Smashes a 284-ball 218 out of a total of 361 for 3 decl.
    
• April 2003
  International entry but short stay
  • Makes his ODI debut in the tri-series in Bangladesh, gets one fifty in five matches, and is dropped.
    
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• November 3, 2004
  Tests ahoy
  • After a year-and-a-half of more prolific run-getting in domestic cricket and a few productive A tours, is drafted into the Test squad to replace Delhi team-mate Aakash Chopra in the side that has lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Scores 3 and 1 in his first Test, but manages 96 in his second, against South Africa. In between the two matches, comes a 181-ball 151 in the Ranji Trophy.
    
• December 17, 2004
  Back to Bangladesh
  • Scores his first Test century in the Chittagong Test, and along with Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly sets up an innings win.
    
• November-December 2005
  Best and worst
  • Is brought back to the ODI side, and scores a maiden century is his first match back. By December, though, following an ordinary series against Sri Lanka (54 runs in six innings), he is replaced by Dravid as opener in Pakistan. Later says it is his over-aggression that cost him his place.
    
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• February 12, 2007
  Rock bottom
  • After having been a sporadic presence in the ODIs, is left out of India's World Cup squad. Later says: "I didn't want to play anymore. I didn't want to practise. I couldn't motivate myself."
    
• May 12, 2007
  There's something about Bangladesh
  • Is back in the ODI side after the World Cup debacle, but thinks it's his last chance when he plays the three-ODI series in Bangladesh. Scores a century in the second, and buys himself time.
    
• September 24, 2007
  World Cup redemption
  • While still fighting for a place in Tests, gets to play in the World Twenty20, and scores three fifties in five matches of a successful campaign, including the top score of 75 in the final.
    
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• January 2008
  Domestic bliss
  • Scores back-to-back fourth-innings centuries - 132 in a chase of 271 in the semi-final and 130 not out while chasing 230 in the final - to lead Delhi to their first Ranji triumph in 16 years.
    
• May 2008
  Short-format gains continue
  • Ends up as the second-highest run-getter in the inaugural IPL. Is a permanent member in India's teams in the limited-overs formats, and is awaiting a Test recall …
    
• July 2008
  Back where he belongs
  • … which duly arrives when he is picked to open the innings with Virender Sehwag on the Sri Lanka Test tour. Grabs his chance, and while the fabled Indian middle order struggles against Murali and Mendis, Gambhir is the second-highest scorer in the series.
    
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• October 20, 2008
  Gambhir's golden era begins
  • Has impressed many by holding his own in Sri Lanka, but including the first innings in Mohali, he has wasted nine starts and not converted a single one into three figures. Later says: "There was talk behind my back that I was good only for fifties." In the second innings, though, gets that elusive century, kicking off a period in which he scores eight centuries in 10 Tests.
    
• October 31, 2008
  No elbow space
  • Is banned for one Test after he elbows Shane Watson during a spell of fierce verbals between Australian fielders and Gambhir in the Delhi Test. Later says: "If India had lost the next Test, I would have taken all the blame."
    
• August 29, 2009
  Recognition from the Indian government
  • Becomes the 41st cricketer to be felicitated with the Arjuna Award, instituted in 1961 by the Indian government to recognise outstanding achievement in national sport.
    
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• October 1, 2009
  Recognition from the ICC
  • Is named Test Player of the Year by the ICC. Has scored 1269 runs at 84.60 in eight Tests, including five centuries and four half-centuries, during the 12-month voting period.
    
• January 25, 2010
  Don, Viv and all that
  • By the time he gets out for 68 in the Mirpur Test, he has scored at least 50 in an innings in 11 straight Tests, equalling the record held by Viv Richards. Also falls just short of equalling Don Bradman’s record of centuries in six consecutive Tests.
    
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