Deccan Chargers' opponents Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sunday's Indian Premier League final face an intimidating prospect of taming a rampaging Adam Gilchrist at the Wanderers
Deccan Chargers' opponents Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sunday's Indian Premier League final face an intimidating prospect of taming a rampaging Adam Gilchrist at the Wanderers.
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The atmosphere at the imposing Bull Ring can intimidate the most hardened of professionals and when you are up against the left-handed dasher on a big stage, it is even more unnerving.
The person entrusted with his team's new ball to bowl at the Chargers' skipper and opener on Sunday sure has some challenge on hand. If the left-hand batsman's fearsome reputation of decimating any attack is not enough, the single-handed demolition of the Delhi Daredevils attack on Friday was enough to put fresh doubts in the minds of the opponents.
If the bowlers are looking for any advice as to what to expect, they can well turn to India fast bowler Zaheer Khan. The left-arm pacer bore the brunt of the Aussie strokemaker's punitive blade in the 2003 World Cup final at this very ground. Gilchrist had laid the platform for Australia's crushing win over India with a 48-ball 57 as an unnerved Zaheer conceded 67 runs off seven overs.
The Mumbai Indians bowler, who has stayed back for treatment on his injured shoulder, watched Gilchrist hammer the daylights off the Daredevils attack in the first semis at the Centurion.
When asked about the challenge of bowling to Gilchrist in this kind of form, Zaheer told SUNDAY MiD DAY: "When players like Gilchrist are in good form, they are unstoppable."
More than skills, the big games are about the ability to absorb pressure. Twenty20 is even more of a nerve game. Hence, the key to winning the second edition of the IPL will be the big-match temperament.
It is here that Chargers have the edge. They have lost matches in this tournament due to cricketing mistakes but not because they lost their nerves. The semi-final was a fine example of it. Most teams have found chasing totals around 150 an unnerving experience. Many of the batting line-ups have floundered trying to play safe at the start, keep wickets, and then look to attack at the death. This strategy has backfired on most occasions with the team choking themselves to defeat as the run-rate mounted. Daredevils must have fancied their chances when they put 153 on the board. Gilchrist dismissed all such plans by putting the pressure back on Virender Sehwag's bowlers. "We wanted to put the pressure back on them," said Gilchrist after packing off Daredevils.
"Gilchrist does not put undue pressure on himself. He always keeps things simple. He has a positive attitude and that rubs off on the team," said Gilchrist's former Australia teammate and Chargers' coach Darren Lehmann.
Gilchrist simply loves the big stage and stopping him will need some doing on Sunday.
