IPL final was a thriller

It was a Indian Premier League final befitting the occasion.It had all the excitement,suspense and the cricket played between Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers was chilling and it provided top class cricket.

When Anil Kumble of Royal Challengers won the all important toss and asked the Deccan Challengers led by Adam Gilchrist in on a wicket that looked good for about 175 runs, the stage was set for a blockbuster.

If Deccan Chargers were to win it was paramount that Gilchrist did a batting repeat and blasted the opposing attack like he did in the semi-final. But Kumble knowing fully well that Gilchrist likes the ball coming on to the bat and relished pace, cleverly opened the bowling with his spin.

That certainly would have unsettled Gilchrist. Gilchrist struggled against the first two deliveries, and then the third saw disaster strike when he failed to read the googly and was bowled for no score.

Kumble superb figures

That looked as though it was the beginning of the end for the Deccan Chargers. But they recovered and made 143 thanks to home town boy Herschelle Gibbs who made 53.Kumble had the superb figures of 4 for 16 in four.

That score looked peanuts for the Royal Challengers who had a strong batting line up. But they never bargained for the wonderful captaincy of Gilchrist.Stung to the quick with his failure with the bat the former Aussie great showed the captaincy in him and by leading from the front and switching his bowlers and placing his field judiciously, saw the opponents being dismissed six runs short and what a victory it was for the Deccan Chargers.

Gilchrist blast

In the first semi-final Deccan Chargers after having been asked to bat first, led by Adam Gilchrist completely outplayed the Delhi Daredevils at the Centurion.

This game was a domination by the former Australian daredevil Adam Gilchrist. After restricting the Delhi Daredevils to 153 for 8 in their 20 overs,the Deccan Chargers hurried to victory making 154 for 4 in 17.4 overs, thanks to a savage knock of 85 in 35 balls by Gilchrist.

From the first ball and till his innings ended,when he misread a googly from Amrit Chawla and was caught,Gilchrist was the master and no bowler could bowl line or length to him.

Gilchrist at 37 seemed to be rejuvenated as he blasted his first 50 in just 17 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes. It was a wonderful innings that had everyone watching spellbound.His bat was like a magic wand in his hands.

It was a truly captain’s innings and his opposing captain Virender Sehwag tried every trick he knew, switching his bowlers around, but all he and his men could do is stand and watch the master at play and giving them an exhibition of what this style of cricket is all about.

The often asked question is: why did Gilchrist have to retire when he has so much to offer Australian cricket? Well, that question would have been repeatedly asked by those watching and everyone would have been shaking their heads in disbelief with no answer forthcoming.

Gilchrist’s shots were all power driven. His timing was superb and the manner in which he executed was from out of this world. The sixes he lofted sailed into the stands and the hits for four screamed along the ground before kissing the boundary board.

Best in the tournament

His blast of 85 in 35 balls can be argued as the best and the electrifying in the tournament,putting into second best even the hundreds scored by De Villiers and Pandey.

When Sehwag 39 and our own Tillekeratne Dilshan 68 helped the Daredevils to 153 for 8, it needed an extraordinary innings from one of the frontline Deccan batsmen to play a big innings. And the one man who could have done it was Gilchrist and how beautifully he responded.

The Gilchrist knock could be classed as one of the best,if not the best of this long drawn out tournament. In the previous tourney he thrilled the Indian cricket fans blasting the fastest three figure score.This knock of 85 was all class.

Second semi-final

If the first semi was exciting, then the second between Royal Challengers and Chennai Super Kings was nothing to crow about. It was a game that can be best described as one of those run of the mill games,

Here again the Royal Challengers captain Anil Kumble put the opponents in and after restricting them to 146 for five in 20, bolted to victory making 149 for four in 18.5 overs.

A Solid Start

Hayden and Patel gave the Super Kings a solid start putting on 61. But they could not reach a formidable score. With former Indian captain Rahul Dravid getting into the run act with 44, ably assisted by the consistent and promising 19 year old Manesh Pandey who made 48 waltzed to victory.