The Hindu : Sport : Gilchrist fashions Australia’s win

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Gilchrist fashions Australia’s win

S. Dinakar

The wicketkeeper-batsman has a fairytale finish at his home ground

Malinga took four wickets to restrict Australia
Sangakkara was the top-scorer for Lanka

Perth: Adam Gilchrist drove Muttiah Muralitharan to deep mid on and sprinted for a single. He ran on, punching the air, and then raised his arms in triumph, joy and relief.

He soon acknowledged the cheers from the crowd, waved to family and friends in the stands. For those magical moments, the 36-year-old Gilchrist could have been just 16.

The crowd rose, Muralitharan clapped, and non-striker Michael Hussey embraced his beaming teammate. Gilly’s 16th ODI hundred was stuff of folklore.

Predictably, Gilchrist’s last waltz on his home ground was high on emotions. It also showcased his attributes as an aggressive stroke-maker who revolutionised the concept of a batsman-wicket-keeper.

Australia won the CB series ODI against Sri Lanka by 63 runs and with a bonus point but Friday’s match at the WACA was all about Gilchirst. He received a rousing ovation as he strode in and then carved a match-winning innings (118, 132b, 9x4, 3x6). In all occasions when Gilchrist has notched up an ODI hundred, Australia has won.

In the night, he led the victorious Australian team to the pavilion under the lights. He soon walked up to collect the Man of the Match award. Chants of ‘Gilly, Gilly’ rent the air. There could not have been a better farewell to the home boy.

Sangakkara shines

Fittingly, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, the batsman-keeper who comes closest to inhering the Gilchrist legacy, made a fighting 114-ball 80. He walked in at the fall of the first wicket and was the last batsman out. Chasing 237 for win, Sri Lanka was dismissed for 173.

Lasith Malinga’s four for 47, a display of speed, lift and swing went unrewarded. The slinger fired out Matthew Hayden with a vicious short-pitched ball forcing the left-hander to lob a catch. This is not an every day sight.

Australia leads the points tally at the halfway stage of the league with 12 from four games. Sri Lanka has six from an equal number of matches. India has eight from four.

The Lankan openers erred by employing methods that earned them a victory against India in a shortened match. In pursuit of a moderate 237 in full fifty overs, they should have built and consolidated.

Jayasuriya launched into Brett Lee and then gave Nathan Bracken the charge; the edge was held at third man. Tillekeratne Dilshan drove over a pacey Mitchell Johnson yorker that swung into the right-hander.

Attacking captaincy

There was assistance in the pitch for the pacemen who could hit the surface hard and Ponting employed a second slip. This was attacking captaincy and in a key moment of the contest, Mahela Jayawardene edged Johnson to the Punter.

That edge was held but the Australian catching was patchy. Ponting and Hayden put down catches in the slips.

And one that was, seemingly, spectacularly held was controversially given out. Andrew Symonds flung himself to his left at cover to come up with the ball after Chamara Silva had launched into Nathan Bracken. Replays showed Symonds may have grounded the ball.

The Freemantle Doctor assisted Johnson’s left-arm swing and Lee was lively. When Sangakkara and Chamara Kapugereda were striving to put together a partnership, Johnson and Lee gave little away while probing the batsmen. The less experienced Kapugedera, eventually, succumbed to a short-pitched delivery from James Hopes but the stress was created by Lee and Johnson.

Hopes and left-arm Chinaman bowler Brad Hogg brought in the change of pace. Hogg operated from over the wicket, turning the ball away from the right-hander, spinning it in. He went past the 150-wicket mark in the ODIs.

Sangakkara batted with solidity and flair. Importantly, he played close to his body and handled bounce with a straight bat and soft hands. He received little support.

In the afternoon, Gilchirst dominated. After his hundred, the next highest score in the innings was Michael Clarke’s 43. Gilchrist struck the pacemen over their head, drove and pulled with panache. This was also an innings where the champion left-hander nudged and worked the ball around. He used his feet against Muralitharan.

Despite victory, there were some worries for Australia. The side lost its way from 206 for four to 236 all out, despite the Lankan catching being sloppy. And Ponting’s tentative ways continued; he was taken in the slip off Chaminda Vaas. Clarke took a nasty blow on the ribs but x-rays did not reveal a fracture.

For the Lankans, Muralitharan bowled well. The off-spinner sent back Clarke with a delicious doosra, Sangakkara bringing off a smart stumping. No bowler has more batsmen stumped in ODIs.

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