Over the Top
Adam Gilchrist
WACA innings was satisfying
February 16, 2008
The tri-series has not yet thrown up a clear favourite, but our bowling has been good enough to keep us ahead of the rest at the halfway stage. At the start of the competition, it was felt that the India-Sri Lanka games would be crucial since we were tipped to do well against both of them. However, the teams have been a lot closer than that with both India and Sri Lanka playing well last week. India would consider themselves unlucky for the way the rain intervened in their last game against Sri Lanka. They will be confident tomorrow, because they have already beaten us once, and they are playing us in conditions that suit them.
The Perth game was a special albeit nervous one for me because it was the last time I was playing in front of my home crowd at the WACA. Playing at Perth has always been difficult for me, what with friends and family watching, but yesterday was even more critical since we needed to win that game to get ahead in the tri-series, and it was my last game on the ground I grew up on. However, I was stroking the ball well from the start and it was a very good batting wicket as well. I was hoping to get to three figures at some point in this tournament, but to do it in Perth was a dream come true. In many ways it was only yesterday that the true import of my retirement hit me. It was a satisfying knock and I could not have planned a better farewell to the WACA even if I tried.
It was disappointing to get out because once that happened, we could not capitalize on our good start. Fortunately, our bowling rose to the occasion once again, and 236, which was not a huge target on that wicket, became a winning total.
The gap between the Sunday and Friday games is pretty big, and sometimes it's tough to keep the intensity going during such a big gap. But all the teams have pretty similar itineraries, so it does even out in the end. Quite clearly, we need to get our batting sorted out if we need to get ahead of the competition in the decisive half of this tri-series. None of the batsmen are too far from a good knock, so it's just a matter of time before we get it right.
For the Indians, their batting so far must have reassured those who were worried that this team was too young and raw to play in such a high-pressure series. However, it's only when you play youngsters that you know how good they are.
The Indians must be relieved to see good weather at Adelaide because the rain gods have been following them venue to venue so far. The conditions suggest a high-scoring game, which will be a change from the trend of cricket played in the tri-series. (Gameplan)
The Perth game was a special albeit nervous one for me because it was the last time I was playing in front of my home crowd at the WACA. Playing at Perth has always been difficult for me, what with friends and family watching, but yesterday was even more critical since we needed to win that game to get ahead in the tri-series, and it was my last game on the ground I grew up on. However, I was stroking the ball well from the start and it was a very good batting wicket as well. I was hoping to get to three figures at some point in this tournament, but to do it in Perth was a dream come true. In many ways it was only yesterday that the true import of my retirement hit me. It was a satisfying knock and I could not have planned a better farewell to the WACA even if I tried.
It was disappointing to get out because once that happened, we could not capitalize on our good start. Fortunately, our bowling rose to the occasion once again, and 236, which was not a huge target on that wicket, became a winning total.
The gap between the Sunday and Friday games is pretty big, and sometimes it's tough to keep the intensity going during such a big gap. But all the teams have pretty similar itineraries, so it does even out in the end. Quite clearly, we need to get our batting sorted out if we need to get ahead of the competition in the decisive half of this tri-series. None of the batsmen are too far from a good knock, so it's just a matter of time before we get it right.
For the Indians, their batting so far must have reassured those who were worried that this team was too young and raw to play in such a high-pressure series. However, it's only when you play youngsters that you know how good they are.
The Indians must be relieved to see good weather at Adelaide because the rain gods have been following them venue to venue so far. The conditions suggest a high-scoring game, which will be a change from the trend of cricket played in the tri-series. (Gameplan)
