The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : We didn’t miss McGrath, says Sehwag

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We didn’t miss McGrath, says Sehwag

Nannes was in fantastic form throughout
I don’t think anyone could have stopped Gilchrist

Centurion: A legend he might be but Glenn McGrath was not missed by Delhi Daredevils as the Australian pace great was not in form, insists skipper Virender Sehwag.

“I don’t think we missed McGrath because he hasn’t played in the last one year. He was not in that kind of form the way he bowled last year. (Dirk) Nannes was fantastic right through the tournament,” Sehwag said after the crushing six-wicket loss.

Asked whether McGrath’s experience would have come in handy when Adam Gilchrist went berserk on Friday night to take the game away from Delhi, Sehwag said no bowler could have stopped the rampaging Aussie.

“I think he batted extremely well. I don’t think anyone could have stopped him. It was Gilchrist’s day,” he said.

Gilchrist surprised

However, his opposite number Gilchrist said he was surprised by Delhi’s decision of not playing McGrath.

“I am very surprised that Glenn didn’t get a chance to bowl in the tournament. But you can’t be too critical.

“They had set the benchmark during the entire tournament. They were the team who were at the top and the other teams were chasing them. Their overseas players have served them really well.

“I was surprised that McGrath didn’t get an opportunity but that does not mean that they needed him to play on Friday.

“Considering the fact that Nannes and other overseas players have done well, it is hard to leave international guys out of the playing XI,” Gilchrist said.

Sehwag said the loss was disappointing and he was not expecting such a brutal assault from Gilchrist, who smashed 85 off just 35 balls.

“Nobody was expecting it to go the way it did. Gilchrist played extremely well and he just finished the game in the first 10 overs. We couldn’t do anything.

“We tried everything, I tried every bowler. Even I bowled in the Power Play, but I couldn’t stop him. So it’s very hard to stop Gilchrist when he is going that way,” he said.

“It is very difficult to stop a batsman when he is in a flow. If the strategy break was before the 10th over, then we had a chance. But he had finished the game before the 10th over and they required around five runs an over. It is very difficult in that case.

“The only chance you have is when he makes a mistake and gets out himself,” he added. — PTI

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