But he’ll make it count during the second final at Gabba, says Ian Healy SYDNEY: Ever heard of the name Phil Emery? Emery was the New South Wales (NSW) wicketkeeper and led the side when Adam Gilchrist was knocking on the doors of the state side. Gilchrist, in spite of his talent couldn’t find a place in the team.
Back then NSW had a bowler by the name of Glenn McGrath. Ricky Ponting was making the headlines as he turned out for Tasmania.
With skipper Emery playing the role of wicketkeeper-batsman, Gilchrist was forced to watch the action from the sidelines. After warming the bench for six matches, Gilchrist, said enough is enough.
He called up Western Australia Cricket Association. He was promised a better deal so Gilchrist decided to make a move. He went to NSW chief selector Steve Bernard and told him of the offer. Bernard’s famous words were: “Look mate, I don’t want to see you go. But I think you should probably go.”
Gilchrist did not waste any further time.
Later, Bernard watched Gilchrist from close quarters when he was manager of the Australian team. “Gee, we could have done with him at the NSW but your brief in cricket administration is to give players the best chance to represent Australia,” Bernard told the local media on the day Gilly played for the last time in Sydney.
Ian Healy, one of the ardent fans of Gilchrist predicted that his successor in the Australian team would sign off with five dismissals and a century at his home ground. But Gilly did neither, having been out for only seven.
Ian Healy then warned India to watch out for him in Gabba, the venue of the second final. It was a rare ordinary day for Gilly at the SCG. He has scored the maximum runs here, had the maximum dismissals and also had scored his first ODI century.
“It is my home state and I’m disappointed that I did not do well here. But I’m very happy with the support I got from the crowd,” Gilchrist said after the match. “As the stats show it is one of my favourite grounds.”
India were lucky that Gilchrist did not fire on Sunday but as Healy says the Men in Blue should watch out for him in Brisbane. A century from Gilly and a victory for India will not be a bad way to end the series.
