I have never been a great fan of Symmo (Andrew Symonds) and, worse still, developed a great deal of animosity towards him after India's tour to Australia in 2008, but strangely - It is Symmo that I said, to all my friends and colleagues, will win Deccan Chargers the IPL trophy in 2009 and so did he - Thank you Andrew!. (Yes its just not Symmo alone, but his contribution is very vital)
Symmo joined the Chargers late this year and in the very first game he played he sent the ball to all parts of the park - not many runs were made (around 30) but a big statement was made - at least to me. One sensed he is boiling inside, wanting to prove to the world that he still is a potent force. One could see in his eyes and face deep desire to make a telling statement and get that baggy green back on his head (Its a different matter that Aussie selectors did think otherwise).
He has been the 'Bull' that represented Chargers!
As much as I did not like him earlier, I must admit this dislike is more because he was playing against India and it was nothing personal. Deep inside and very next to dislike, there was fear and respect. Feared because I knew he could take the game away with bat in few minutes, feared because every time ball goes near him there could be a run out or a brilliant catch. Respect because he has always been a team man. He would do everything in the book to make his team wins (some times bit more than what's in the book - possibly due to adrenaline and for sure not because its his nature).
On the day of finals, he displayed every bit of the reason for which I feared and respected him. He appeared to be taking the game away from Challengers while batting (got unlucky and got out), fielded ferociously and bowled intelligently enough and the two important wickets that he took, in the end, proved to be the turning point in the match. He did everything in the book to get under the skin of Manish Pandey and Roelf Vd Merve (sure he did much more but I did not have anything concrete to write here).
More than all these, he has been a team man. Did you watch how involved was he when Harmeet was taken for few runs in his first over, how he kept on egging him when he came to bowl after strategic time out. Did you notice that Gilly, Gibbs, Rohit and RP Singh always turned to Symmo whenever they felt something needed to be done to stem the flow.
For a guy who has spent more than a third of his life in Hyderabad, being a loyalist of Chargers is a no brainer. But as far as Symmo - His heroics meant that I am convert now, and for good.
Bravo Chargers - waiting for your victory parade in Hyderabad!
Symmo joined the Chargers late this year and in the very first game he played he sent the ball to all parts of the park - not many runs were made (around 30) but a big statement was made - at least to me. One sensed he is boiling inside, wanting to prove to the world that he still is a potent force. One could see in his eyes and face deep desire to make a telling statement and get that baggy green back on his head (Its a different matter that Aussie selectors did think otherwise).
He has been the 'Bull' that represented Chargers!
As much as I did not like him earlier, I must admit this dislike is more because he was playing against India and it was nothing personal. Deep inside and very next to dislike, there was fear and respect. Feared because I knew he could take the game away with bat in few minutes, feared because every time ball goes near him there could be a run out or a brilliant catch. Respect because he has always been a team man. He would do everything in the book to make his team wins (some times bit more than what's in the book - possibly due to adrenaline and for sure not because its his nature).
On the day of finals, he displayed every bit of the reason for which I feared and respected him. He appeared to be taking the game away from Challengers while batting (got unlucky and got out), fielded ferociously and bowled intelligently enough and the two important wickets that he took, in the end, proved to be the turning point in the match. He did everything in the book to get under the skin of Manish Pandey and Roelf Vd Merve (sure he did much more but I did not have anything concrete to write here).
More than all these, he has been a team man. Did you watch how involved was he when Harmeet was taken for few runs in his first over, how he kept on egging him when he came to bowl after strategic time out. Did you notice that Gilly, Gibbs, Rohit and RP Singh always turned to Symmo whenever they felt something needed to be done to stem the flow.
For a guy who has spent more than a third of his life in Hyderabad, being a loyalist of Chargers is a no brainer. But as far as Symmo - His heroics meant that I am convert now, and for good.
Bravo Chargers - waiting for your victory parade in Hyderabad!
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