Don't wait for Gambhir to recover, replace him

Don't wait for Gambhir to recover, replace him
New Delhi: India's dressing room in England is set to wear an even younger look. A blurry Gautam Gambhir is feeling the door-lock to declare one more injury-forced exit, paving the way for another pair of fresh legs to galvanize a crestfallen unit.

England never had to confront with a fit Gambhir throughout the Test series. First the elbow and then the skull, the left-hander's frame was never in a state of equilibrium. And at the end of the Test series, the opener was covered with blue and purple.
Still India waited, hoping that while others fell by the wayside, running repairs will help Gambhir walk on a straight line. But with just two days away from the Twenty20 international against England, the wind hasn't changed directions. Gambhir is still concussed and needs to be replaced.
The BCCI doesn't have to look too far to find precedents. Sehwag's fitness was only as good as his fitness certificate. When thrown into action, his return to Test cricket lasted for two first-ball ducks and five insipid days on the field.
In contrast, 'fully-fit' Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma haven't had the false-starts that some of their 'half-fit' senior colleagues experienced. Both hit wining half centuries on their first outing in England and authenticated it with equally impressive knocks in the second warm-up game before the ODI series.
Drastic situations call for drastic measures. England are on top of their game, India at rock bottom. And Rahul Dravid has exemplified what batting demands to excel in English conditions. So to expect a far-from-perfect Gambhir to fire in ODIs is nothing but a wild goose chase.
Instead, the BCCI should grab it like another chance to put a promising youngster to test.
With both Sehwag and Gambhir recuperating, India will need fire at the top, and Robin Uthappa can answer that call with his explosive aerial approach. Moreover, his wicketkeeping can also give rest to MS Dhoni's 'sore hands' and allow the skipper to get his batting act together. Yes, Parthiv Patel too can provide that luxury, but Uthappa at the top is weightier than Parthiv.
The selectors can probably also ponder on the forgotten Irfan Pathan. His left-arm swing and useful lower-order runs may lend balance to an injury-plagued team searching for answers in both batting and bowling. No, it's not wishful thinking. If RP Singh can come out of the blue, Irfan merits an even higher rating to make a comeback.
But whoever BCCI name, India only stand to gain. Players like Ajinkya Rahane and Varun Aaron are not only fit but hungry for success – if god-forbid not in this series, then surely in the future.