It was very irritating having waited over two hours for the rain to stop at Bridgetown on Saturday. And when play finally began in the World Cup final, I started wishing the rain had never stopped, all because of one man answering to the name of Adam Gilchrist.
I have watched every single World Cup final from 1983 on television but have seen nothing like what it was yesterday when Gilchrist was at the crease. The final was reduced to 38 overs-a-side and I knew a tall score was on the cards with the Oz batting first.
But what people in the stadium and millions on TV saw was such a brutal assault, even if the Lankans were allowed to use 12 bowlers, it would not have mattered. The 1999 final is still fresh in memory when Ricky Ponting came up with that ton. Fans also remember the centuries hammered by Clive Lloyd (1975), Viv Richards (1979), Aravinda de Silva (1996).
But if you are going to ask me which one will be remembered for a very long time, it has to be Gilchrist’s pulverising 149. Come on, this guy had almost forgotten what it was to get the bat to the ball in this tournament. And when he exploded, it was simply unstoppable. Was it vengeance which saw Gilchrist scare us, like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator?
Gilchrist had his own answers: Support from the mates and coach for coming up with such a huge knock. Yet, only a Lankan miracle could have won them the match.
In a virtual no-contest where Gilchrist’s batting was such an audacious exhibition of uninhibited strokeplay, almost nothing could have halted him. Knocks like these reflect an inner hunger and drive which only Oz mates can conjure.
Yet what surprised me was his style. Gilchrist does play from the book early on. But against the Lankan attack, which was supposed to have huge variety, he had scant respect for the copybook and threw his bat like a bludgeon. Had he been the hammer throw ring last night, he would have perhaps set a record there as well.
And by the time he was through with his 149 and came out of the trance, he had made sure we fans remember this World Cup just for his final batting assault. I am ready to say, whatever Matthew Hayden had done before in this World Cup is not what is going to be remembered. For the Lankan bowlers, it will take time for them to get over this trauma.
They certainly will need some counselling after being treated like club class bowlers in some scrappy small town cricket league!
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Sir, haven’t you heard the age old adage in cricket, catches win matches…
I suppose the Lankans had forgotten that and paid heavily. First it was Fernando then it was Sangakkara, the ’keeper who is known for his safe pair of hands, dropped him at a vital juncture.
That sent the message across loud and clear — the Lankan’s were too anxious going into the game and Glichrist simply enchased the opportunity.
There is something more…the man has now openly come out and said that he had a squash ball stuffed inside his glove, which gave him a better grip…. trust Aussies for innovative ideas…. but I am not sure if that is allowed.
Still, they deserved to win, coz they played better and that’s the bottom-line.
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