Gilchrist Storms World Cricket:  IPL India Postmortem

IPL India in South Africa saw the end of the boosted image of India and identified the celebrated Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrest finally as the best sportsman in the field. It is to the credit of Australian Gilchrest that Indo-IPL's selection of him as the top cricketer is like Indian government directly bestowing upon him a Doctorate of Science, without asking any of the universities to do so as the usual practice, for his contributions, including his "adjustment" skills.

                                        I

Recently, Indian cricketers returned with a plenty of Indian BIG wickets from South Africa where they adamantly played IPL along side the Indian parliamentary poll to put in place  a team of billionaires, . India may have been routed in its own IPL drama to boost self-image, but May 22 and 24 created a history of a sort in IPL as Hyderabad Deccan Team was resurging into the semi and then final to become the so-called champions of 20/20, and for many commentators that was entirely unexpected and hence unaccepted.  Perhaps even the Hyderabad Team guys never wanted to win to embarrass the bigwigs controlling the drama through remote mechanisms from New Delhi , as some of the players do look to the New Delhi bosses for their continued presence in Indian team at least in wait list. But some how the Hyderabad guys, owned by media magnet in Andhra Pradesh, reached first the semi, and then ramped to final and finally own the IPL series, albeit reluctantly. 

Deccan Chargers completed an extraordinary journey from being at the bottom of the table last year to win the second edition of the IPL, defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs in a pulsating final at the New Wanderers here on 24 May, 09.  Chasing a modest 144 at the finals, the Royal Challengers Bangalore seemed cruising for victory at one point when Symonds intervened in the 15th over, claiming the crucial wickets of Ross Taylor and Virat off successive deliveries. 

The Deccan Chargers of Hyderabad are now in charge 20/20 globally. When Adam Gilchrest decided to return to the pavilion as quickly as possible with mere duck for 3 balls, Gibbs, not out, carried forwards the torch with 53 runs to lead the fight to win against, seemingly, the rest of the cricket world - and not just Indian cricket lords. Lust for extra cash did not lure them finally and they stood the ground firmly. 143 for 5 wickets with 7.15 run-rate is not a big total, but it was enough for Bangalore team to collapse some where.  They lost 9 wickets and lost to Hyderabad for 6 runs- not very impressive, but that is what needed and they cleanly restricted the Bangalore UB bottles to 137 with 6.85 run-rate.  .  .

Gibbs played an uncharacteristic innings. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fluent, but it got the job done as expected then. Gibbs saw his captain Adam Gilchrist fall in the first over. He was the last of Deccan ’s main batsmen. What really caught the eye in Deccan ’s triumph at the Wanderers was how desperate their senior players were to win. They soaked up the pressure and allowed the youngsters to play in a relaxed frame of mind. On a pitch that had something for the bowlers, Gibbs opted to push the ball around for singles and not for extravagance. It wasn't until his 33rd delivery that he played a shot reminiscent of the old Gibbs - a swat over midwicket for six. Symonds, who was left out of Australia ’s Ashes plans, was everywhere. He played like a man possessed, using intimidation as a favorite tactic. Like Gibbs, he too has a point to prove, to the Australian selectors if not to the world at large. Through the chase, he raised energy levels several notches and was a leader on the field.

In the first part of bowling, Kumble celebrated like a teenager but bowled like the veteran champion, and kept Deccan down to a manageable target. Nevertheless, it was a stunning turnaround from last year for both teams and the one that faced the most humiliation in 2008 won the day. Deccan Chargers invoked firmness and resoluteness to successfully defend a modest total. There they did the marvelous job. They bowled with fire, fielded aggressively and sledged and hustled - almost literally - to victory in a final that twisted and turned and lived up to the occasion. Taylor looked like taking Bangalore home coolly, hitting three fours and a six, until Symonds got him on the pull, with a touch of extra bounce. Adam Gilchrist pulled off a smart stumping down the leg side next ball, and it was all down to Boucher now. Gilchrist tried to get through Harmeet's last over, during which the youngster claimed Boucher on the cut. The bowling allocation was planned perfectly:

Deccan which initially occupied the top rank among the teams for several days by continuous wins for 5 times, then slipped to second letting Delhi/Chennai occupy the slots above it; , third and finally to the fourth rank immediately after Bangalore Team. Bangalore team reached the final by default because of the double game of the mafia to see the end of Hyderabad Team as early as it was possible. Worse, it could be clearly discernible that Hyderabad team was downplaying to let more important tams with “stalwarts” to win.  

                                                   II

Deccan Chargers have won the IPL-2009 Trophy by 6 runs! Despite all meticulous efforts and precautionary measures for Mumbai/Delhi/ Bangalore teams and against Hyderabad /Chennai teams, the Deccan Hyderabad team emerged victorious defeating all other teams convincingly to take over the championship for 2009.  The bulls of the Chargers are all charged up by this charge to the top spot from being at the bottom last year. It is all about the word Charge today.

Hyderabad team has won the global title against all odds without any known former Indian cricket captain and their victory is significant because they won against the wish and will of the Indian billionaires-producers of the IPL. Someone unfortunately had to lose.. Bangalore ’s Orange Cap lost, and someone has to win: Hyderabad was lucky that way. But the Orange caps stay firmly on Matthew Hayden's head and refuses to support the new regime in New Delhi . There was no lack of excitement and heartbreak in the title clash as the 37-day, 59 match tournament ended with a fitting finale between last year's bottom two sides.

Cricket mafia had probably expected, as usual, the Hyderabad frauds to “offer” 2 sixes to Bangalore Mallya liquor mafia so that Bangalore team could become the champions, perhaps a lot of packages were on the offering, but the Gilchrist boys rejected all such offerings. , but Gilchrest this time was firm not to play for them and refused to make unnecessary tricks  to get a wicket and in the process give them two sixes as they used to do.

Obviously, none had foreseen a situation when Hyderabad team under Australian Gilchrist would become the ultimate winner of IPL in India . It was sheer irony that the team that finished with the proverbial wooden spoon in the inaugural edition of the tournament went on to lift the trophy in the second season. When Hyderabad demolished the Delhi devils that had high total points of 20, Hyderabad team having just 14 and occupying 4^th place, was almost assured of the champions. Herschelle Gibbs restrained innings made all the difference o the match.

It is a crude irony of fate that India , seeking to improvise the team capabilities for attack in 20/20, lost all its "best" players in IPL. The outcome of the extravagant IPL just concluded in South Africa has cause Indian owners and sponsors great embarrassment. Indian media is reeling under defeat of all their choices and hope, finally, for Bangalore win. Poor guys! All Indian cricket stalwarts ate dust in South Africa . Teams with big cricket titles ended miserably including the present captain, inclusive 20/20.

The worst affected arty in IPL dramas is the media that are now unable to boast of the known track cricketers beyond normalcy. Indian media cannot praise Gilchrest and Gibbs beyond certain line because that would be tantamount to Indian national “interests” and belittling those until day before yesterday raised to the level of gods but now turned out be fakes, frauds and mediocre. Only support form co=batsmen and opponent bowlers contribute to the “blasting” by the top scorers today. .

The owners of the IPL enjoyed their presence inside the stadiums where the fixed matches were held. Much of the early focus was on Hindi Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta, all co-owners of IPL drama franchises, but none of their teams did particularly well. Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders finished an embarrassing last, winning only three out of 14 matches and Khan returned to India early in the campaign. But before quitting the scene, Kolkata gave a thrash to Delhi devils.

                                                       III

In Johannesburg , South Africa , Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist was named the Golden Player of the League for his outstanding performance particularly in Semifinals. The most wounded soldier is the Bangalore “owner”.  The Bangalore Royal Challengers owner Vijay Mallya, the liquor lord, who bought the leftouts of MK Gandhi from the West for India government recently as a tribute to him for helping the Indian liquor magnets to thrive in India through obtaining freedom from UK, said his team boys messed it up in the last five overs and served the IPL title on a platter to the Deccan Chargers. The liquor tycoon, just like most of Indian leaders, media lords and literally every one, is highly disappointed because Hyderabad did not play its “usual” and anticipated game in the finals…

Apart from match-fixing and “adjustment” habits to suit the central line of commands towards semis, the unpredictable nature of Twenty20 cricket was shown when Bangalore and Deccan , who filled the last two places on the log in the first IPL in 2008, reached the final. Even on 2009 form that was a surprise, because they beat the two teams that dominated the round robin stage, the Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils respectively.

Matthew Hayden, the powerful Australian left-hander who retired from international cricket in January, was Chennai's mainstay as he topped the tournament run-scorers list with 572 at an average of 52.00 and an impressive strike rate of 144.81 runs per 100 balls. Another former Australian player, Deccan captain Adam Gilchrist, played the stand-out innings of the tournament when he slammed 85 off 35 balls in the semi-finals to get his team past Delhi..

Australian Adam Gilchrist had written on a slip ‘We will win by six wickets,’ before their semifinal match against Delhi and the swashbuckler made sure his prediction came good smashing a 35-ball 85. Gilchrist has turned a soothsayer Friday.. The Deccan Chargers captain earlier also wrote on a slip 'We will win by six wickets,' before their semifinals match against Delhi Daredevils. The swashbuckler made sure his prediction came good smashing a 35-ball 85 and the Hyderabad side indeed cantered to six-wicket win.

Gilchrist pulled out that chit from his pocket at the post match press conference. The writing was unmistakably Gilchrist's and there was no reason to disbelieve him when he said that he had scribbled his prediction long before the team left the hotel. Gilchrist, with his hurricane knock, not only powered Deccan Chargers into the final, but also became the first to cross the 900-run mark and smash more than 150 boundaries in the IPL. Not that he played a dazzling knock for the first time. The 37-year-old was world's most feared batsman till he bowed out of international cricket last year after the home series against India . Yet, his ability to hit the ball with such power is still intact. The innings reminded one of his masterly 149 in the 2003 World Cup final that dashed India ’s dream of winning it a second time.

Whatever, the Deccan Chargers staged a remarkable fight back to upstage Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs in a nail-biting final and win the second edition of the Indian Premier League at Johannesburg

IV

Conditions were different in South Africa from those in India last year, with bowlers having a bigger say on late-season pitches that offered assistance to both seam and spin bowlers. Even so, it remained a batsman's game. While Deccan leapt from last place in 2008 to the title in 2009, defending champions Rajasthan Royals failed to reach the semi-finals, with former Australian star Shane Warne unable to inspire his comparatively modestly-funded teams to another triumph.

From finishing right at the bottom of the IPL table last year, Chargers were a totally different outfit this time. “We have learnt a lot from our mistakes last year and this year we had decided to back our skills.' However, he has refused to talk about underplay tactics of his Team to boost the image of opponents on special request from the sponsors and owners.

The IPlL2009 thread bear exposed a crude fact that most of the Indian cricketers are just average only with good captainship and support for opponent blowers have made them get “required” runs for awards and media applause. That is indeed shameful. Not only Laxman, but all cricketers are waste batsmen and they play well only by fluke or opponents' help on payment basis from Indian side. . It was matter of time before people realized it.

However media have suggestions for many “stalwarts” like Tendulkar, Ganguli, Rahul, Shewag and Kumble etc., retire forthwith; one reader even commented that they should wash cars roadside to make a living from here on. However, these guys have made enough wealth in crores for many gener4ation s to live comfortably without having to wash cars on the road sides.

India cannot be different, instead of realizing the folly and face the reality and do the needful to address the serious problems India facing, the Indians would like to go for some more IPLs to “set right” the ruined fortunes to showcase the “efficiency” off all these third rate cricketers and even wax models cold be erected for each and every cricket “gem”.

V

Today Adam Gilchrist is adjusted the IPL 2009's most valuable player. If his batting, bowling and fielding performance is expressed only in terms of 'runs', he is seen to have scored a staggering 753 runs. And world hasn't taken into account his phenomenal captaincy skills!

As it is known, all records in cricket, including 20/20 are fake and cannot be reliable sources to talk about one’s caliber, skills and performance. Individual record is in fact needs to be shared by the entire team, even by the bowlers who at times help the batsmen with quick runs. However, just for fun sake, it could be added here that Following are the statistical highlights of the Indian Premier League's semi-final match between Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers. Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist (85 off 35 balls) registered the fastest IPL fifty. With his 17-ball half-century, Gilchrist surpassed the 21-ball 50s registered by Yusuf Pathan (2008) and Brendon McCullum (2009). Gilchrist's 17-ball half-century is the fifth fastest in Twenty20. Gilchrist is the first player to make 900 runs in the IPL, aggregating 931 in 29 innings at an average of 33.25, including one hundred and six fifties. Gilchrist received his fourth Man of the Match award in the IPL.

Supposing Mumbai true India or Delhi devils, or Kolkata or Punjab or Chennai or even Bangalore won the trophy, the Indian media world have blasted the news as the major story on the front page with elaborate coverage and colorful photos with interviews of every big cricketer in India as to how they clinched the title, etc. But unexpectedly, Hyderabad team has emerged victorious. Now the media cannot even say anti-Indian Hyderabad team or pro-Pakistani Hyderabad team has thrashed Indian teams and comfortably and convincingly. They have fought for Hyderabad just to outsmart India .

Mediocrity, wickedness, hypocrisy are the benchmarks of Indian thought, idealism land mindset. In the age of color revolution, Indian newspapers have preferred black and white format to place the pictures of Hyderabad players. While media have generally avoided any extra mileage being offered for Hyderabad or Australian Gilchrest, they are, for the first time for years, have been forced to swallow insult silently; but why then all this drama in the name of IPL? 

Known for ant-Islamism and anti-Muslimism as the dominant journalistic format of India , this deformation is not against Indian ethics and justice. For any Indian journalist now professional ethics is determined by the totally pro Hindu/India attitude and article after article is churned out of this mindset formulations. 

One fails to understand why Indians are so obsessed with IPL in South Africa . One does not know if they would have gone to SA or elsewhere, if they had anticipated that net result would be rout for all pure Indian teams and victory for Hyderabad team, neglected and ill-focused by Indian mischievous media. One doe seven know if Indian “owners” and cricket mafia would arrange for a quick mini IPL to boost the Indian cricket leaders somehow before the forthcoming 20/20. Poor true Indians, indeed!

Using Islam as a threat, Indian media and strategists do not fix any limit to praise of hypocritical India and abuse of Muslims with tacit support form the state and its judiciary. Over years of anti-Muslim bashing and terrorism plank rhetoric, the media played havoc on the lives of Indian Muslims. Bulks of Hindu Indians are terribly shocked now by the unwarranted IPL verdict and are at a cross-road now and many feel awkward that that they had to go all the way to South Africa to incur state wastages only to get disillusioned and showcase the wickedness of Indian media boasting.

The second edition of IPL arranged for promoting the Indian team boys has ended a high flop since none of the Indian teams could showcase the Indian cricket prowess reflecting the Indian military power. With this bad note, Indian team would go to play the next 20/20. But will Indian agencies use the cricket mafia to ask all teams to play for India and its false prestige, and to hell with their own prestige?   

Although blackmoney was playing the game, obviously, not every Indian can digest easily the crude fact that Indian agencies have undertaken the painful task of IPL scheming abroad at ”any cost"  only in order to make Australian Gilchrist the man of global cricket! However, Australia needs not reciprocate with indirectly assisting Indian team in the forthcoming 2020, chiefly because India did not want it that way but things turned deadly against the schemers themselves. That is indeed the cruel irony of Indian fate. India forcefully occupies Jammu Kashmir and kills innocent Kashmiris there day in and day out calling them “terrorists”; the same fate would engulf the terror India there too!

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Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal

Independent Researcher in World Affairs, The only Indian to have gone through entire India, a fraud and terror nation,
South Asia.