Kohli and Ashwin are world-class: Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist didn’t have the frame of a conventional wicketkeeper. But he went on to revolutionize the role of wicketkeeper in his playing days. The vice-captain of Steve Waugh’s Invincibles, who actually captained the Aussie team when they conquered the final frontier in India in 2004, owing to Waugh’s injury, had lots to say about what to expect in India in a recent interview.

On being asked whether he expected victory in Pune, Gilchrist didn’t hide his surprise. He said that the victory didn’t seem possible looking at the teams before the match and the result was unexpected in three days. He lauded the Aussies for the preparation and the hard work they put in.

Gilly assumed that there would be extra satisfaction for the team members since everyone was writing them off, particularly a few Indian legends who predicted 4-0 whitewash. Gilchrist was of the opinion that the team members were under no pressure since there were no expectations, which enabled them to enjoy the game.

When specifically asked about the legends he was referring to are Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh, Gilchrist chose to not name them and downplayed the scenario by suggesting that his compatriot McGrath too used to do the same. He mentioned that he was not a big fan of predictions. “Many others too did that but the team worked hard for the success. They have got off to a perfect start and the challenge is to win the game in Bangalore.” He said in an interview with Mumbai Mirror.

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Steven Smith had termed his team to be the underdogs for the India series. The former wicketkeeper didn’t think this was a ploy from captain Smith, but he was being realistic. “India have not lost 19 Test matches, beaten England 4-0, and they have got the world’s best player in Virat (Kohli). The current form and previous results indicated that Australia would struggle. I don’t think he (Smith) was creating any smoke screen with those comments”, said Gilchrist.

Having been part of the famous 2001 India series where the Aussies had come to conquer the final frontier, Gilchrist had a few things to share from his experience. In that series, Australia were 1-0 up but saw India come from behind at the Eden Gardens after being pushed to their knees.

He was also a part of the team which won the 2004 series. He said you can’t look far too ahead in India and it was always about the small steps. “Steve and Darren Lehmann and the leadership group would have been kicked to celebrate their victory that night but straightaway from the very next day would have focussed on the next game. They know that things can change very quickly and I know they are not carried away. They don’t need my advice but if there has to be one, then I will say that ‘learn from the last game whatever you could but remember that it will be none for none before the start of the next Test”,

He said that the Indian team will now have to decide what kind of wickets they roll out going ahead in the series. “Well, the Indian team and management need to decide what kind of pitch they should play on. The Chinnaswamy Stadium, we all know, can produce a beautiful cricket pitch – one that can reward the batsmen and bowlers alike. They can go for a conventional pitch which plays well early on and then deteriorates later or prefer the one like in Pune which was substandard. They can do that but they probably run the risk of losing another toss. If they win the toss, India will logically dominate the Test match and if they lose the toss, they could find themselves in trouble. And that would be risky when you are down in the series.”

However, Gilchrist was certain that the No.1 Test team is capable of playing quality cricket and they don’t need the assistance of traditional Indian pitches for results.

He believes that it will take more than individual efforts from Kohli and Ashwin for India to do well. Both of them are world-class but are bound to not do well on certain days. It will be the collective responsibility of other members to cover-up for such days. Apparently, Aussies seem to have a plan for Ashwin and it would be interesting to see how he takes up the challenge.

Steven O’Keefe, the star-performer in Pune, deserves all the plaudits he is getting according to Gilly. He has been a strong performer for his state New South Wales for quite a while now. “He is a hard worker, he has been very loyal and high performer for New South Wales for many years. Many have felt that his results had gone unrewarded by the previous Australian selectors. He did not get what he deserved in Test cricket. There were a few people who questioned he being in the team and he is enjoying proving them wrong. He is a very solid bowler who knows his game very well.”, opined Gilchrist who seemed to be happy for the left-armer.

Gilchrist also praised the ex-Indian captain MS Dhoni. He said that MSD has accomplished all that was possible for a captain. “I would not expect MS to be too upset about the loss of captaincy. He has achieved everything that can possibly be achieved in cricket. He has won all the trophies that one can win. I think he is enjoying his limited attendance in cricket. He has been one of the most exciting cricketers to watch in the last 10-15 years.”, said the legend about India’s favourite captain.