Adam Gilchrist knows a lot about pressure. As a member of the allconquering Australian team for over a decade, he constantly stared the beast of expectation in the face. His record in three World Cup finals will stand eternal testimony to a man who thrived in facing challenges.

But even he might baulk at the weight of the albatross that is expectation in India.

As the skipper of the defending champions, Deccan Chargers, Gilchrist faces a massive burden.

While his personal efforts with the willow at the top of the order can transform his team into marauders as they did in such spectacular fashion in the semi-final of
IPL-2, h is job gets more difficult in making everyone raise his levels considering only 36% of the team consists of imports of international quality.

The team may avail the services this season of young Mitchell Marsh, younger son of the former Australian opener Geoff.

The towering youngster who led Australia to triumph in the Under-19 World Cup recently, is expected to take the IPL by storm as his sibling Shaun did in IPL-1 with Rajasthan Royals. He could do fellow West Australian (adopted of course) Gilchrist proud.

The more exciting DC signing is that of Kemar Roach, the West Indian of quicksilver pace who has
made a few, including Ricky Ponting, duck and weave and even thrust injuries upon them. He is one of the quickest bowlers in world cricket today and if he adjusts to the slow Indian pitches quickly he can provide the early wickets the defending champs may need in what are bound to be free-scoring conditions.

The irony is the home team’s record at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium — be it that of Team India, Hyder
abad or the Chargers — is so poor that the champs may actually be better off playing elsewhere. In any case, the Chargers won the cup in a season when home advantage was non-existent as the competition was played in a third country, South Africa.

Taking the pace off the ball has been a strategy whose efficacy has been demonstrated time and again in the T20 format. In that sense, the utility allrounders of the Chargers
may be just the men who can swing things around, although they may face a greater challenge on Indian pitches from which specialist spinners can draw so much more by way of turn and bounce. Installed the early favourites for the inaugural IPL, the Chargers came a cropper. The promotion of Gilchrist full-time to the helm made the difference. The team will again lean on him for runs as well as inspiration. As underdogs, the team surprised everyone by roaring to form at the very start last season.

From cellar to podium was an immense achievement in terms of man management.

The bookies have not made the Chargers the favourites, which again
might suit the team. The consistent Delhi Daredevils and the Chennai Super Kings are obviously the big threats, so too the wounded Mumbai Indians who like the Kolkata Knight Riders have suffered two poor seasons without even getting to the knockout semi finals.

In a competition that is certain to be more batsmanoriented than the second edition, it is a fair guess that the big hitters will be the game makers. There is no side among the eight that does not boast of men who can clear the ropes at will.

Given the equalising nature of Indian pitches, it is the teams that keep their nerve which are bound to do well in the final stages. Whose season will this one be?