Gilchrist: Aussies are ready

Adam Gilchrist on the attack © Getty Images

Adam Gilchrist is confident Australia are better equipped for the forthcoming Ashes series than in 2005 despite being forced to change their plans for the opening Test.

Australia’s decade of dominance has been built around a solid formula of six specialist batsman followed by wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne supplementing a three-strong seam attack led by Glenn McGrath.

Their 2005 Ashes series defeat, their first since 1986-7, forced a change in that thinking and the emergence of all-rounder Shane Watson enabled Australia to consider dropping one of the middle-order batsmen.

But despite Watson being forced to withdraw from the squad for the Gabba after failing to recover from a right hamstring strain sustained last week, Gilchrist remains confident the side are in a better shape to reclaim the Ashes.

“We’re still ranked number one and we took some good lessons from the defeat in England,” conceded Gilchrist, Australia’s vice-captain.

“I don’t think we were complacent, but I think we perhaps struggled to regain focus on that Ashes series after spending a number of years preparing for India.

“The India assault became our holy grail for some time there and we managed to achieve that and tick that box off in 2004.

"I’m not quite sure we became re-focussed on the Ashes after that and that’s probably cost us a little bit in our preparations and planning for that series.

“We have re-assessed now and it’s not wholesale changes either in the personnel or the approach but we certainly sharpened up in various areas and we feel we’ve improved since 2005.”

Instead of Watson freshening up the middle order - he has a first-class average of 50 in addition to showing encouraging signs of improvement with the ball - Australia have instead reverted to another member of the side which lost the Ashes by recalling Michael Clarke as an extra batsman.

Michael Hussey has added a new dimension to the Australia batting © Getty Images

Clarke’s recall means Australia’s have made only one change from the batting line-up which struggled to assert itself against England last time around with Michael Hussey replacing Simon Katich.

Gilchrist, one of the many members of the batting line-up to under-perform, believes the members of that losing side are all desperate to atone for their shock 2005 defeat.

“Since we saw the Ashes handed over at The Oval, I think everyone would acknowledge that we can’t wait for this series to get started again to try to win them back,” said Gilchrist.

“It’s a compliment to our team that we don’t enter too many series where we’ve got that challenge of getting something back - we’ve normally got the trophy and we’re trying to retain it.

“It’s a new challenge for us to go out and try to regain the Ashes and things have progressed nicely for us.

“I don’t think we’re being disrespectful to other series and we’ve had some good challenges, particularly from South Africa, but this series has been at the back or our minds and it’s now down to the guys to go out there and do it.”

Andrew Flintoff bowled well to Adam Gilchrist in the 2005 Ashes © Getty Images

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England’s ability to restrict Gilchrist’s contribution to the last series - he averaged just 22 with a top score of 49 - by bowling around the wicket at pace was a key reason for their success.

Since the last Ashes series, other teams have copied England’s gameplan to such an extent that Gilchrist has averaged only 26.40 in the 11 Tests he has played since for Australia - a considerable drop in performance level from a career Test average of 48.80.

Gilchrist has joked he may try to negate England’s gameplan by batting right-handed, but conceded: “I’d be very surprised if they didn’t maintain that type of attack.

“They maintained it very well over in England and it seems the world over is darting around the wicket now.
"I’ve got a good challenge there and hopefully the things I’ve detected and the areas I want to improve on and the subtle changes I want to make to counter that are the right ones.

“It was a big challenge for me in 2005. Their whole bowling line-up executed everything beautifully and not just to me, to our whole batting line-up but hopefully we’ve go the right plans this time.”

Watson’s withdrawal will almost certainly ensure Stuart Clark, who took 20 wickets in three Tests in South Africa earlier this year, is likely to be the preferred third seamer because he is a steadier option without the back-up of an extra bowler.

Clark is expected to win the vote rather than the extreme pace of Shaun Tait or left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson, but whoever plays will firstly have to combat the weight of expectations from an Australian nation eager to see revenge for the previous series defeat.

“The Australian public expect big things from us every time and that’s from the standards we’ve set so I don’t feel any different emotion or nerves as we head into this series,” added Gilchrist.

“It’s none for none and I don’t think it’s going to be a boring hard-fought drawn series or 1-0. The nature of the teams is that it’s going to be exciting, but England must also learn how to handle the pressure of holding the Ashes - that’s a new challenge for them.”