India's head coach Gautam Gambhir graced the Delhi Premier League (DPL) with his presence on Sunday. Taking time out of his busy schedule, Gambhir arrived at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, also his home ground. In a candid conversation with the league broadcaster, Gambhir answered some tricky and some cheeky questions. During the chat, the former India opener was also asked about his favourite memory from the venue. It was an obvious choice for Gambhir, who picked his double ton in a Test match against Australia in 2008.
"Obviously, my highest Test score is against Australia, I got 200 on this ground. So, scoring a double hundred at home in front of your family members, it can't get better than that," said Gambhir in a chat on Star Sports.
Gambhir registered a 206-run knock in the match off 380 balls, including 26 fours and one six, while batting for over 10 hours. In one of his finest performances in red-ball cricket, Gambhir showed brilliant determination and precise shot selection to nullify the threat posed by Australian bowlers.
The knock helped India post a formidable first-innings total of 613/7 against Australia, with VVS Laxman also contributing with a double century (200*). It was the first time in Indian cricket that two batters scored double centuries in the same Test innings.
Gambhir also spoke fondly of the Delhi Premier League, which has given budding cricketers another excellent platform to showcase their skills against some of the finest players from the region.
"I've not watched a lot of cricket. In fact, I've been at home and haven't watched a lot of cricket. But it's a great platform for a lot of these boys (DPL) who can showcase their talent," said Gambhir said.
As the head coach of the Indian team, Gambhir hasn't enjoyed the brightest of starts in Test cricket. The recent 2-2 draw against England did help him salvage some pride but India still have a long way under Gambhir in the longest format.