Page 102 - IPL 2

I t was a crisp morning in Cape Town. Our just the opposite of what you would want in a

camera crew was on their way to film a feature captain who is to take you out of a slump. But

at the Deccan Chargers training camp. No one he showed that aggression is not necessarily
was looking forward to it much as the team worn on the face. You can as easily destroy the
had lacked fire in the first season. Teams and moral of the opposition bowlers while wearing

audiences alike had whipped them in the first a smile. Because 3 sixes in an over can have an

season. No smart money would be on them in effect that sledging or hustling just can’t.
IPL 2009 in South Africa. None of the Indian star
players were on their rolls, Boom Boom Shahid The Chargers also had a new coach, former

Afridi was not making the trip, Andrew Symonds Australian international, Darren Lehmann. Hard
was available for only half the tournament, as nails, an ideal foil to the happy and cheery

so the crew was not too kicked about this Gilchrist. The Bar room brawler and the Smiling
early assignment. Six hitter – what a combination!

But, no sooner than we had gotten out of our On paper, this team would have seemed happiest

car, did we all feel a perceptible whiff of change at the move to South Africa as they had not won
in the air. It was not a small one. From the person a single home game in all of Season 1, a feat

who came to receive us, to the assistant coach that will probably be a record for a long time to
who was hitting the high balls. The youngsters come. But they did have concerns. Their primary

who were outrunning each other. Adam Gilchrist one was the cold. According to Mr. V Shankar,
and Dwayne Smith who were competing on co owner, “The initial reaction was one of worry
the yards their big hits were getting. They as we were unsure the team would be able to

were having fun, but they were training hard. adjust in such a short time. Once it became

Where was the gloom and despair we were known that the weather was not biting we felt
expecting to see? confident of doing our best.”

Maybe it was the new team colors. The earlier But after the rough weather they’d been through
insipid beige was probably the dullest kit of in India, even a rainstorm would be a walk in the

all the teams. But this new blue was not just park. As the tournament progressed the world
pleasing to the eye; it also seemed to have saw that Gilly still had that magic touch. But it

energized the team. Adam Gilchrist would was to be a solid team effort with Rohit Sharma,
have his first full season as captain. And the and RP Singh and Azhar Bilakhia, and Pragyan

Chargers management was eager to give him Ojha and Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Symonds
all the support he needed to turn their fortunes all chipping in with solid performances when

around. Its no secret that Gilly is one of the needed the most. They had a team of superstars
most explosive batsmen the world has ever in the first season too, but they had not played

seen, but he is also one of the nicest blokes you like a superstar team. In season 2 they all pulled
will ever meet. Soft spoken and gentle, he was through. Lugging the weight for each other.

ANDREW SYMONDS
90 DECCAN CHARGERS DECCAN CHARGERS 91