Gautam Gambhir 'Nervous as a Novice' Ahead of Eden Gardens Test

Gautam Gambhir should be feeling at home at the Eden Gardens if he is picked for the second Test against New Zealand starting on Friday. But the 34-year-old Kolkata Knight Riders captain, who last played a Test match two years ago in England, is "nervous like a novice."

Gambhir, who has led IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders since 2011, has been good form in domestic cricket and his inclusion in the squad means Shikhar Dhawan, who sat out of the Kanpur Test and is a Virat Kohli favourite, can no longer take his place for granted.

With the experience of 56 Tests behind him, Gambhir, who will be 35 on October 14, also can't take his place for granted. This is perhaps his final lifeline to play for the country in whites again. Gambhir last played a Test match at The Oval in August 2014.

Nothing beats playing again for d country. Test cricket, whites, red ball and India cap again. Thanks @BCCI, thanks 2 all for d prayers.

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 27, 2016

Although Gambhir will be playing in familiar conditions, he has been Kolkata Knight Riders highest scorer, the fresh Eden Gardens wicket and a quality New Zealand pace attack will keep the left-handed opener guessing. The Delhi batsman, who is never shy of expressing himself, is expectedly showing some nerves.

Excitement of a debutant, certainty of experienced, nervousness of a novice...am feeling it all. Eden here I come loaded with ambitions.

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 27, 2016

Should Gambhir play, India will have the ideal left-right combination in the second Test, victory in which will give Virat Kohli's team the No. 1 spot in the International Cricket Council rankings.

Gambhir's last series in England was a bad one. In a comeback series, Gambhir scored all of 25 runs on that tour. Of course, he was not the only disappointment. India had lost the five-match series 3-1.

A man who loves to fight and draws inspiration from Bhagat Singh, Gambhir will back himself to come good with the bat and give the team management an extra option in the long season ahead. It remains to be seen how skipper Kohli reacts to the return of his veteran Delhi teammate.

Gambhir has been in good form in domestic cricket. In the recent Duleep Trophy, he scored an impressive 356 runs in five innings at a healthy rate of 71.20. But at the Test level, the equations are different and Gambhir will need his good Test memories to fire his conviction levels.

Gambhir has scored over 4,000 Test runs with nine centuries and 21 fifties. With Virender Sehwag, he has been India's most successful opening pair, scoring a record 4,412 runs. Between 2008 and 2012, Gambhir was indispensable in the Test team.

He will receive a lot of 'home' support at the Eden Gardens for sure. And KKR team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan is already wanting Gambhir to strike a purple patch.

@GautamGambhir love to you my man. All the best.

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) September 27, 2016

Kolkata's passionate fans love their IPL stars and although Gambhir broke hearts when he replaced Prince of Kolkata Sourav Ganguly as KKR skipper, Eden will back the feisty batsman to tame the 'excitement of a debutant'.