It’s my toughest series against best batting: Gilchrist

Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist today said the on-going four-Test series was the ‘‘toughest’’ he had played at ho...

Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist today said the on-going four-Test series was the ‘‘toughest’’ he had played at home and rated the Indian middle order as ‘‘the best batting line-up in the world’’.

‘‘This is easily the toughest series I have played at home against a visiting team. When we were in India in 2001, I rated it the toughest series abroad I had been involved in. So in a way, India has been tough opponents both at home and abroad,’’ said the talented keeper.

India rattled up 366 runs while losing just two wickets today to take complete control of the series deciding fourth cricket Test with a total of 650 for five.

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‘‘This is easily the best batting line-up in world cricket, probably in many, many years. It is rare when all the batsmen are firing as well as the Indians are doing in this series.’’

VVS Laxman’s strokeplay during his classic 178 left Gilchrist completely stumped for its sheer beauty and timing. ‘‘Every time he plays against us he comes up with something special and the next thing we read after the series is he is dropped! It leaves me completely bewildered.’’

Gilchrist also praised Sachin Tendulkar who cracked a career-best unbeaten 220. ‘‘As for Sachin, well he played like Sachin. He was very disciplined on the first day and denied himself which I would say made him appear tentative. But he was in his groove today and played a marvellous innings.’’ Gilchrist said though he has often stood behind the stumps for two days running, those had been in rather happier times when his side had enforced a follow-on.

‘‘It is different standing behind the stumps when your team is doing well and quite opposite when nothing is going your way.’’

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But he did not feel that the Aussies were making mistakes in the field because they were under-pressure from a good batting line-up. ‘‘I don’t think it is because we are facing the heat in the field that catches are being dropped. In the past we used to pluck half chances and run-outs but I would not say we are missing them because Indians are batting so well.’’ (PTI)