Sachin Tendulkar calls retiring Gambhir a special talent

Whenever some significant development takes place in the world of cricket, people wait to hear the Master Blaster speak and he always has something special for his fans. Former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar greeted ace Indian opener Gautam Gambhir after the latter announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Tuesday, concluding an illustrious career that lasted nearly two decades.

He added moments from their days spent together in the national side, which made Tendulkar’s message more special. Gambhir was a key member of the Indian team in the 2000s and he played significant knocks in the final of two world championships – the World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 and ICC World Cup at home in 2011. He did not get the Man of the Match on either occasion but the knocks of 75 and 97, respectively, remained key contributions behind India’s successful missions.

Tendulkar didn’t forget to acknowledge the contribution of Gambhir in the World Cup finals, saying in his tweet that the latter had a “Gambhir role” on occasions when it mattered. Most people talk today about Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s eye-catching 91 not out in that final in 2011 against Sri Lanka but it was Gambhir’s 97 that had kept India in the hunt throughout the game, even after losing Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar himself early on.

Tendulkar recalls Gambhir’s marathon inning

He also brought alive the memories of a Test that India played against New Zealand in Napier in March 2009. It was the second game of the three-match series which India were leading 1-0. However, a batting disappointment in the first innings saw India following on against the Kiwis and trailing by 319 runs, the visitors needed to bat to the best of their abilities.

Gambhir stood tall on that day to play a marathon inning of 137 off 436 balls in almost 11 hours to save the game for his side. He put up a crucial 97-run partnership with Tendulkar who scored 64 off 131 balls and they consumed 39 overs which eventually denied a victory to the home team.

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