Hyderabad, Oct. 8: He may have quit active international cricket two years ago, but former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist is still abreast with the action on the field and gave a thumbs up to the just concluded first Test between India and Australia at Mohali.
“Both teams fought hard but in the end Laxman made all the difference. He has been a nemesis for long and I feel his best comes up when the chips are down. Laxman is a match-winner,” Gilchrist said. Interestingly, Gilchrist has played alongside Laxman for the Deccan Chargers and heaped praise on the Hyderabadi. “Laxman is an unsung hero of the Indian side. In a side which has big names such as Sachin and Dravid, Laxman has quietly gone about his job meticulously,” Gilchrist said. The discussion shifted to the on-field spat between Zaheer Khan and Ricky Ponting in the Mohali Test and Gilchrist said, “Ricky and Zaheer are both fierce competitors and don’t give an inch. Having said that, the two teams must have respect for each other, which I think they have at the moment.”
On his roller-coaster ride with the Deccan Chargers, Gilchrist said, “I would love to continue with the Chargers. We had a great bunch and to have won the IPL-2 and finishing in the semis of IPL-3 speaks volumes about the character of the players in the side. I feel there should be an opportunity for the franchises to retain certain amount of players.”
Gilchrist was in the city as the brand ambassador of University of Wollongong.