A legend he might be but Glenn McGrath was not missed by Delhi Daredevils as the Australian pace great was not in form, insists skipper Virender Sehwag.
A legend he might be but Glenn McGrath was not missed by Delhi Daredevils as the Australian pace great was not in form, insists skipper Virender Sehwag.
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"I don't think we missed McGrath because he hasn't played in the last one year. He was not in that kind of form the way he bowled last year. (Dirk) Nannes was fantastic right through the tournament," Sehwag said after the crushing six-wicket loss to Deccan Chargers in the semi-final yesterday.
Asked whether McGrath's experience would have come in handy when Adam Gilchrist went berserk last night to take the game away from Delhi, Sehwag said no bowler could have stopped the rampaging Aussie.
"I think he batted extremely well. I don't think anyone could have stopped him. It was Gilchrist's day," he said.
However, his opposite number Gilchrist said he was surprised by Delhi's decision of not playing McGrath.
"I am very surprised that Glenn McGrath didn't get a chance to bowl in the tournament. But you can't be too critical. They had set the benchmark during the entire tournament. They were the team who were at the top and the other teams were chasing them. Their overseas players have served them really well.
"I was surprised that McGrath didn't get an opportunity but that does not means that they needed him to play today. Considering the fact that Dirk Nannes and other overseas players have done well, it is hard to leave out international guys out of the playing XI," Gilchrist said.
Sehwag said the loss was disappointing and he was not expecting such a brutal assault from Gilchrist, who smashed 85 off just 35 balls.
"Nobody was expecting it to go the way it did. Gilchrist played extremely well and he just finished the game in the first 10 overs. We couldn't do anything. We tried everything, I tried every bowler. Even myself I bowled in the Power Play, but I couldn't stop him. So it's very hard to stop Gilchrist when he is going that way," he said.
"It is very difficult to stop a batsman when he is in a flow. If the strategy break was before the 10th over, then we had a chance. But he had finished the game before the 10th over and they required around five runs an over. It is very difficult in that case. The only chance you have is when he makes a mistake and gets out himself," he added.
Sehwag said the pitch was batting friendly but even if it was not, the way Gilchrist batted, bowlers couldn't have done much.
"The wicket was very good, but the bowlers did not have much help. But there was bit of a bounce. But the way Gilchrist batted even if there had been some help, there wouldn't have been much the bowlers could have done."
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