Gautam Gambhir on the left and Virat Kohli on right. (FILE photo)
Following on in the game against New Zealand in Napier in 2009 with about two and half days remaining in the Test match India looked out of it and loss seemed inevitable. However, the current head coach Gautam Gambhir arguably scored one of the best tons by an Indian opener and helped the side to save the Test match.
On Wednesday, speaking on BCCI TV in a chat with Virat Kohli, Gambhir revealed that he was in the zone and revealed that Hanuman Chalisa was the reason behind his never-ending grit and determination to play the innings. “If I look back can I bat for another two and half days I don’t think I could have ever done that but the only thing I did for those two days was listen to Hanuman Chalisa,” Gambhir said.
Gambhir would also say that similar to him listening to Hanuman Chalisa to get into the zone, Kohli, when he had his breakthrough series in 2014 against Australia Down Under, would chant Om Namah Shivay ahead of every delivery. “You kept telling me you were saying Om Namah Shivay before every delivery and that got you in that zone and for me it was the same when I played in Napier” Gambhir would say.
Gambhir in Napier played a marathon innings facing 436 balls for his 137 to deny New Zealand the victory. “When I talk about being in that zone the reason I say that is because very few times in your career you can be in that zone it’s divine to be in that zone only you can experience. I remember [VVS] Laxman told me do you even realize you did not utter a word for two hours even between the overs. It was like I was completely zoned out and I have never been in that zone ever in my life after that.”
