Swashbuckling West Indian batsman
Chris Gayle, whose unbeaten hundred today helped his side thrash England in a World T20 cricket match, attributed his sensational knock to strenuous practice and preparation in the run-up to the ICC event.
"The preparation has been really good, it's all about practising and then doing it in the middle," Gayle said after his 100 not out took Windies to a comprehensive six-wicket win.
Gayle, who today became the only second batsman after recently retired Brendon McCullum to score two T20 International hundreds, said the flat pitch also helped in his knock.
"The pitch was flat and dew played a part as well. After facing the first over I took a while to get back on strike, but Marlon helped ease the pressure. The guys who play the IPL know it's a good wicket so we knew we always had a chance to chase it down," he said.
"Before I went out, Sulieman Benn said 'entertain me'. Hopefully we can move onto Sri Lanka now. Bangalore, my home town. Hopefully I can entertain again. The celebration was all about DJ Bravo and his new song."
Lauding Gayle for his record-breaking hundred, West Indies captain Darren Sammy said, "It's always fun watching Gayle.
"We were quite happy at halfway, at no stage did England get away. To restrict them to nine-an-over we were quite happy. Marlon is a big-match player. I had a feeling it would be his day and the way he took control of the Powerplay," said Sammy.
A disappointed England captain Eoin Morgan said conceded that Gayle made all the difference in the match.
"We never really took the game away from them. Credit to West Indies. In the chase, things were difficult. Gayle is a hard guy to stop. West Indies didn't allow us to get going on what was a really good batting surface," said Morgan.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
