Gilchrist ends illustrous career on losing note

Brisbane, Mar 4 (UNI) After the defeat to India in the CB Series finals, an emotional Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist remained buoyant despite ending his illustrous career on a losing note.

''It's been a magic ride for me it's not the fairytale ending tonight, but its certainly been a fairytale career for me,'' Gilchrist told Sky Sports 1. ''To be involved with it all is obviously something I'll hold very dear for the rest of my life.'' The 36-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman bows out with an average of 35.89 in One-Day International (ODI) cricket, finishing with 9619 runs in 287 matches and has taken 472 catches.

Gilchrist was Australia's best-performing batsman in the CB Series with 322 runs at an average of 32.20 and a strike-rate of 98.17.

He scored a century and two half-centuries in the tournament.

However, he proved to be a damp squib in his farewewell match, contributing 2 before playing back and edging Praveen Kumar.

Gilchrist will now play in the lucrative Indian Premier League with whom he has a three year contract.

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