Legendary Australian batsman and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist recently spoke about the Test series victory over India on the 2004 tour under his leadership.
Adam Gilchrist also said he had mental scars from the 2001 tour of India, where Australia suffered a series defeat despite winning the first game.
Adam Gilchrist served as Test vice-captain during his career. He was promoted as captain during Australia’s tour of India in 2004 due to Ricky Ponting’s broken thumb.
Australia’s national cricket team achieved a 2-1 series victory in India for the first time in over 30 years under Gilchrist’s leadership.
The left-handed batsman scored a century in the first Test match, where the Men in Yellow won by 217 runs.
They won the third test match by 342 runs in the third test match before the Indian team won the last game. Gilchrist also excelled as a goalkeeper with 16 dismissals throughout the series.
I was absolutely panicking when we were playing – Adam Gilchrist
Speaking on the ‘Stories After Stumps’ podcast, Adam Gilchrist said he was unexpectedly named captain during Australia’s tour of India in 2004. He admitted not feeling prepared for the role, especially recalling a moment during the Champions Trophy in the UK.
“I was absolutely panicking when we were playing, I think, in the Champions Trophy in the UK. We were at Edgbaston and he got the ball with his thumb, but he never (usually) left the pitch. No matter how bad it was, it was a serious injury. He stayed there. He’s a tough little guy, but he left and never came out again. So we realized that: 1. he’s out of that tournament and 2. if he breaks, he won’t be able to go to India. certainly not at first,” Gilchrist recalled.
Adam Gilchrist was named captain ahead of Australia’s tour of India in 2004, but it wasn’t a job he felt suited for
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I started getting nervous right away – Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist revealed that he felt nervous while leading the Australian team during the 2004 tour of India due to memories of the 2001 series, which was a mix of ups and downs for him. He recalled scoring a century in the first Test, but then suffering a king pair and two low scores in the final match.
“So I started getting nervous straight away, mainly because of the memories of 2001, which was an epic series, one of the great Test match series, for me personally. (I) I went from the highest of the highest: scoring hundred in the first test of the 2001 series, but then closed the series with a pair of kings at Eden Gardens and another pair of 1s in the last test.
“So I was mentally marked by the final part of that tour. Was I ready to go back there in general? I wasn’t sure. And then having to put on the captain’s armband, I was even less sure,” he added.
Australia lost the test series against India in 2001 2-1
Australia, led by Steve Waugh, entered the tour of India on a 16-Test winning streak. They started the series with a 10-wicket win in the first Test in Mumbai, where Gilchrist scored a century. However, India achieved a historic victory during the second Test after following it and won the series 2-1.
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