Much before hitting his "best ever Twenty20 knock" to power Deccan Chargers into the Indian Premier League finals, Adam Gilchrist knew his side would win by six wickets and had written this prediction on a piece of paper on the morning of the semifinals.
"I had a feeling in the morning
that we would win by six wickets. I always back my instincts so I just took out a paper and wrote this. I am quite amazed that it came true," Gilchrist, who smashed a hurricane 35-ball 85 to single-handedly take the match away from Delhi Daredevils last night, told the IPL's official website.
"It is what invokes in us an urge to do better on the field. The beauty is that it makes the performance, whatever that may be, rewarding," the Australian added.
Deccan Chargers finished at the bottom of the table last season but Gilchrist turned it around brilliantly for them this year, leading from the front with some scintillating batting.
The swashbuckling wicket-keeper batsman said the dramatic turnaround of fortunes has been possible because the side has learnt from the mistakes committed last season.
"We have learnt a lot from our mistakes last year and this year we had decided to back our skills," he said.