New Delhi: With a rich vein of form over the past year and counting, it was only inevitable for ace Indian opener Gautam Gambhir to stage a comeback to the national team after a long overlay of nearly two years, having last played a Test in England in 2014.

But things did not turn out to be quite as expected, as Gambhir was once again overlooked and the selectors opted for fresh energy and speed over experience.

The Delhi southpaw has been in contention for a national team spot for a long time now frequently knocking at the doors of the side having showcased match winning performances on the domestic circuit as well as the Indian Premier League where he was among the top five run getters of the season. His last five outings resulted in scores in excess of 50 and industry insiders felt that this was his best bet to stake his claim on the spot which has eluded him for ages now.

Gambhir took to social media platform Twitter to pour out his thoughts on the selection saying that he is "disappointed not defeated, he's cornered not a coward and went on to add that "grit my partner, courage my pride for I must fight, I must fight".

Despite such terrific performances averaging 80.25 in the last five games amassing a total of 521 runs, if he is continued to be kept at bay and being overlooked, and with the kind of squad the selectors have opted for, one must think that they have dropped an indication that they have moved on and the emphasis on fitness now is more than it was ever before. Only time will have answers to watch the future holds for Gambhir. Until then, one would only hope that Team India continues to perform well across all formats.