Adam Gilchrist has revealed a hilarious fact about his huge 149* innings at the 2007 World Cup final.
ADAM Gilchrist made cricketing headlines all over the world with his performance in the 2007 World Cup final in Barbados.
The 287-match veteran, widely regarded as one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batsmen to play the game, belted a ferocious 149 not out off 104 balls in the first innings before being caught up in controversy for a squash ball he used in his glove to help his strokeplay.
Gilchrist’s huge innings with his strange batting hack highlighted the unconventional final — and even his pre-match preparation was a little strange.
Captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat — but the start of the match was delayed due to rain. The wet weather reduced the match to 38 overs a side, meaning Gilly had roughly an hour to kill before strapping the pads on.
One would think the buzz of opening the batting in a World Cup final would have a cricketer restless in the changerooms. But then again, not every cricketer is Adam Gilchrist.
The 45-year-old admitted he had to be woken up before heading out and hitting one of the greatest knocks of his career.
Little did everyone know, Gilly was asleep before this huge knock.Source:AP
“I was in a very deeply relaxed state,” he said on Tuesday night’s The Back Page. “I was actually asleep when our fielding coach Mike Young came to say the umpires were on the way.”
“It rained in between the toss and the first ball being bowled. (I had) nervous energy because it was a World Cup final so I just found a quiet spot in the gymnasium out the back of the changerooms and decided to close my eyes and rest, but I actually fell asleep.”
Gilchrist then went out and blasted 13 fours and eight sixes on his way to the highest individual score ever made in a World Cup final.
The match was turned on its head late in Sri Lanka’s innings when umpires called an end to the match due to bad light, but realised because they suspended the match by light and not rain, the last three overs would need to be bowled the next day.
Captain Mahela Jayawardne agreed to see out the final three overs to avoid teams returning to the ground in the morning to bowl a measly 18 balls.
“This doesn’t do it justice for how dark it was,” Gilchrist said as replays showed lightened footage of Andrew Sydmonds bowling the final overs. “It was pitch black. Luckily Symonds was bowling with his white zinc so I could see where he was.
“The best part about that was we thought we’d won the World Cup and all ran in to celebrate, then the umpires came in and said ‘you’ve got to do it all again or come back tomorrow’.
“So we bowled the three overs and celebrated again. We got to celebrate the World Cup twice in one day.”
Gilly and the boys digging in after a strange win.Source:AP
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