It has always been a treat to watch this man bat and on Wednesday, the spectators at Newlands were witness to Adam Gilchrist’s class and artistry all over again.
The left-hander a plundered Royal Challengers Bangalore from the first over. His swashbuckling 71 off 45 balls, including five sixes and six fours, along with some scintillating batting from Rohit Sharma (52 off 30 balls, five sixes) set the pace for Deccan Chargers who went on to win the match by 24 runs.
Gilchrist used his willow with vigour and once again showed a relentless drive of a remarkable batsman with loads of commitment, courage and mental strength. The former Aussie wicket-keeper raced to his half century in 31 balls and by the time he was caught at short extra cover by Virat Kohli off Pietersen, he had already propelled the Chargers’ score to 127 in the 14th over.
Rohit Shamra too flourished in the company of his illustrious senior and matched him stroke by stroke. He played with much authority and took full control of the match after the departure of his skipper. His three sixes of a Kumble’s over was a marvel and his sizzling innings helped Team Hyderabad set a daunting target of 184.
Royal Challengers Bangalore started their chase on a disastrous note, losing Jesse Ryder to the very first ball from Fidel Edwards. When Kevin Pietersen returned to the pavilion in the 11th over with scoreboard still reading 62 for four, the match had already slipped from their grasp.
Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli sought to repair the damage but their knocks came in too late for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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