It is all about evoking fear. More bluntly, it is all about the sensation 'I can torment you'. And now it has reached mythic proportions following the unbelievable 175 of 66 balls against Pune at the Chinnaswamy. Chris Gayle, undoubtedly, is the most feared batsman of the Indian T20 League and that explains part of his success. He has successfully pushed the bowlers onto the back foot even before the first ball is delivered to him. Most bowlers except a Ravi Ashwin perhaps who has a run a ball equation against Gayle, are scared of him. They are scared of pitching the ball up knowing full well that a yorker gone wrong will disappear into the stands. And such a feeling often results in mistakes. And such mistakes can leave a lasting impression on you. Rahul Sharma for example isn't the same bowler since Gayle tore into him in season 5. Yes he has made a comeback but Pune did not dare risk him in the last game against Bangalore. Not that it would have made much difference though with Gayle in such form.
And there is a magical bullishness about Gayle. A gladiator like look, it is as if he is wielding a sword against a hapless soldier with the ball. Clearing his back foot and making room, even a Gayle mishit is going for six at the Chinnaswamy. And the fact that the boundaries are less than 70 meters is helping his cause. For example when Mitchell Marsh pushed the ball wide and Gayle had already leaned back, he just extended his arms and hit it over third man's head. In a relatively bigger ground it could have been a simple catch. Not in Bangalore though and that has necessarily meant Gayle and Bangalore are now a made for each other couple.
It is intriguing to note that this same man wasn't half as successful in the Big Bash. With an average of just over 19 he had a poor tournament for Sydney and hardly raised a storm down under. And this tells me that most captains have missed a trick against him. They should just unleash their fastest man against Gayle. Pune picked Kane Richardson as their fast man. He hasn't yet got a game. Hyderabad have Steyn while Delhi has Morkel. Mumbai, needless to say, has Malinga. You need to get these people into the act if you have to stop Gayle. Ali Murtaza and Aaron Finch's left arm spin will inevitably disappear over the ropes and Mitchell Marsh's military medium poses no threat to T-20 cricket's biggest hitter at the moment. You've got to try your fastest man against Gayle for chances are he won't get an opportunity to rock back on occasions.
The other option is to get your best off spinner on against him. Chennai has had success in the past and so has Mumbai. Ashwin has deceived Gayle because he stops in his delivery stride nullifying Gayle's last minute adjustment. That split second change is good enough to do the job.
Needless to say all of these tricks can go wrong on a day when he is unstoppable. And the 175 of 66 balls was one such day. It was an innings of incredible brilliance and there is nothing to take away from the man who is the biggest match winner the league has ever seen or perhaps will see in the near future. It is just that it is restricted only to the Indian T20 League for Gayle has hardly ever done similar unbelievable things for the West Indies or the other franchises he plays for across the world.
To finish off one little piece of trivia- having met him on a number of occasions I can confirm that he has rather soft hands. I was quite surprised the last time we met in Sri Lanka to shake hands with him. He is a charming fun loving man who, if he gets going, can be brilliant company off the field. And the bowlers will tell you that his company is the worst they can possibly have on the 22 yard strip. To sum up- Gayle has given the Indian T20 League a new dimension that every fan is enjoying. He has redefined T-20 batting and that is good enough to make him the league's biggest superhero.
source:cricbuzz
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