The Hindu : Sport : Gayle, vital cog in Windies's wheel

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Gayle, vital cog in Windies's wheel

Vijay Lokapally

Teams that adapt best will come out stronger, says Arthur

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

ENJOYING EVERY BIT OF IT: Chris Gayle and Jerome Taylor (right) in a playful mood during the practice session at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, on Tuesday.

JAIPUR: Chris Gayle, the most successful batsman in the ongoing Champions Trophy, has a simple piece of advise for making runs on the intriguing pitches that they have confronted. South African coach Mickey Arthur calls them "un-subcontinent like."

The inform-Gayle stresses, "There has been no change in my batting style. The key lies in assessing the pitches quickly. The last time we played here the pitches were slow and the ball stayed low. You have to play straight," said the West Indian opener.

Exciting player

Batting can be a stimulating experience to watch when Gayle is in the middle. The left-hander can belt even the good deliveries and demoralise the bowler with his vast range of shots. Brian Lara calls him a "vital cog in the West Indian wheel," while bowlers all over dread his stroke-making abilities.

The languid walk to the middle is in sharp contrast to Gayle's electric ability to get into position. He can be a canny bowler with his off-spin but he prefers to be known for his batting. "I can do my job when asked to bowl but I don't concentrate on my off-spin out of the way. I always pay more attention to my batting. It is very pleasing to make runs and I try and bat as long as possible when I get a good start."

Unflappable

Gayle can adapt quite comfortably and his strength comes from his unflappable temperament. Known to play the game the hard way, he dismissed suggestions of any tension between his team and South Africa, ahead of their semifinal clash here on Thursday.

"There is no controversy as far as I am concerned. No tension between the two teams. In international cricket, I know guys will be aggressive. There will be passion but there is nothing personal. We know that we need to put in hard work. It is not going to be easy defending the title. We know what to expect. The South Africans will come hard at us. We have to collectively do our job well,'' said Gayle in a measured assessment of the opposition.

The West Indies resurgence, Gayle noted, has come from playing consistently good cricket. "We have been in a good frame of mind. The more we play the better for us," he said on the amount of cricket the team has played from the time it hosted India at home last May.

The South Africans on the other hand talked of being rusty. "We came here a little bit rusty. We had some pre-conceived plans but they changed with the pitches that we have come across. Most teams have struggled with their top order not doing well since the pitches are conducive to bowling," observed Arthur. The South African coach gave credit to Jonty Rhodes for his contribution as the fielding coach.

"He has been fantastic. He has done his job to perfection. We have always set high standards and we do have a competitive edge over others in this area."

Confession

Reflecting on the tournament, Arthur confessed, "We are happy and confident. On a given day anything can happen. One solid performance can make the difference but we can't be worrying about the opposition. We need to worry about doing things right for ourselves. These days, any side in the top eight can beat the other. So you have to be at your best all the time."

Similar to what Gayle had pointed out, Arthur too insisted, "Teams that adapt best will come out stronger. It is not a matter of momentum but playing well right through."

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