Adam Gilchrist has been spending more time in the lobby of his five-star hotel rather than the privacy of the suite his team owners have provided. For the next 40 days, this city will be the Australian wicket-keeper’s home, and it does seem as if he is trying to get ‘connected’ in the home of the Deccan Chargers. For starters, he is being rather generous with his time and patience.Autograph-hunters, media personnel, fans wanting a picture, all are being obliged by the ’keeper. Commoners have managed to draw him into conversations on all things cricket. Soon, former Australian team mate — and an opponent from Delhi Daredevils in the IPL — Glenn McGrath walks in looking for the gift shop. Had this been the eve of an India-Australia match, any version of the game for that matter, getting them to even smile for a camera would’ve been next to impossible. On the field, the intensity may be high, but off it, there’s not so much pressure — especially in this early stage of the competition. Through the tournament, McGrath will end up bowling less than — or close to — the number of overs he’d bowl in a Test match. Gilchrist, for his part, doesn’t have to think of his line-up having to bat out a day-and-a-half of a Test match or fifty overs of a one-dayer. “The good thing about Twenty20 is that you need to give your best right from the word go. It challenges you even before you’ve thought of settling down,” says Gilchrist. Whatever be the case, the IPL forms a part of an extraordinary retirement plan for the two stalwarts of the game. After having toiled during their years as Australian cricketers, the least McGrath and Gilchrist can expect is to find cricket as a part of their post-retirement entertainment package. Getting to interact with cricket-crazy Indians, watch filmstars perform before and during game and play a 20-overs-a-side match under lights. things seem pretty sorted for now.
