The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Gilchrist amazed by Indian youngsters

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Friday, Nov 16, 2007
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Gilchrist amazed by Indian youngsters

Wonders whether his days as a power-hitter are over
Role as an opener was the turning point of his career

Melbourne: Awestruck by the young trailblazers in the Indian ODI team, Australia’s ‘Greatest ODI Cricketer’ Adam Gilchrist said the power-hitters in Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side have redefined the game with their amazing strokeplay.

Without naming any particular player, Gilchrist said he was stunned by some of the shots played by the Indian youngsters during the World Twenty20 championship and the seven-ODI series last month.

“Some of the things I saw in India, some of the shots their young players are playing and the power in the game at that Twenty20 tournament was amazing,” he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Gilchrist said after looking at the Indian youngsters, he began to wonder whether his days as a power-hitter were all but over.

“I definitely feel like I have still got a role to play and still can be very much a feature in one-day cricket, but it’s a bit different. There may have been a time when I was a trailblazer, (but) I think it has surpassed me now. I’m not saying I’m redundant, it’s just the way the game is evolving, and it’s exciting,” he explained.

Becoming tough

The wicket-keeper batsman, who was voted Australia’s greatest one-day cricketer by his fellow players, said the changing face of the game was making it tough for him to keep pace.

“The way the guys are hitting the ball these days, I don’t feel like I’m keeping up,” Gilchrist, who turned 36 on Wednesday, said.

The affable stumper felt Steve Waugh’s decision to promote him as an opener was the turning point of his career and helped him create a niche for himself.

“It enabled me to forge my identity at the top of the order and contribute more than just an average of 25 in the middle-order,” he said. — PTI

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