Adam Gilchrist owned responsibility for putting Deccan Chargers into bat on a belter of a pitch here and the eventual 82-run defeat that ended Kings XI Punjab's hopes of making the play-off phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday.
“It was a wrong decision,” admitted the Kings' captain and said, “I take responsibility for the decision taken at the toss. Touching upon the factors that led him to put the opposition in, Gilchrist said: “The net run-rate and the possibility of rain had to be kept in mind.
“But I must say, we did not bowl and field well. In fact, we just did not turn up today. A target of around 160 was a realistic one. But we were dismal on the field. It was very disappointing.”
Meanwhile, Chargers' stand-in skipper Cameron White praised the team for its all-round performance that resulted in a hat-trick of victories.
“A score of 198 is always very good to have in a Twenty20 game. Later, we bowled and fielded very well. Shikhar Dhawan has always threatened to play the kind of innings he played today. It was nice to see him bat so well.
“Amit Mishra bowled brilliantly to pick up four wickets including a couple of left-handers. That should give him more confidence.” — Special Correspondent
