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Early warning leaves Gilchrist fighting for his position

Source: smh.com.au - January 27, 2006

Adam Gilchrist has been spared from plans to drop him down the Australian one-day batting order, but will need to strike form soon to remain an opener.

Gilchrist returned as an opener after a two-game break against Sri Lanka in Adelaide yesterday, but only after chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns backed away from a plan to shift him down the order after his recent form slump. He made a start but was out for 34, an innings which fell short of what was required to dissuade those who feel a drop down the order would do him good.

In the days immediately after Gilchrist went home to Perth for his break, following a golden duck in Australia's loss to South Africa on January 15, Hohns let the cat out of the bag by mentioning in conversation, firmly and clearly, that Gilchrist's time as a one-day opener had come to an end.

The comment was made with no stipulation that the issue be kept in confidence, something Hohns may have soon regretted. As usually happens in a sport which generates as much debate as cricket, word soon spread, and the plan was reported in this newspaper.

When contacted by the Herald the day the story appeared last Thursday week, Hohns was nothing short of furious. Yet when given the chance more than once, he would not deny dropping Gilchrist down the order was in his thinking, saying only he was "not saying anything at all".

Hohns is under no obligation to reveal his plans to the media. Perhaps he was incensed the story had leaked before he had an opportunity to broach the subject with Gilchrist or captain Ricky Ponting, or indeed his fellow selectors.

Hohns later went into denial mode. Ponting insisted that, as captain, the choice would be his to make, and that Gilchrist would remain an opener. With Ponting rested from yesterday's match, Gilchrist led the side on his return from his break. It would have been a bold move indeed to demote the new skipper down the order. Gilchrist also said he received an unequivocal guarantee from Hohns there had been no discussion of dropping him down the order "by any of the panel".

Although batting-order moves are usually the captain's prerogative, any decision to demote Australia's most successful opener would be a weighty one, and would require input from the chief selector. Otherwise, why would Gilchrist take comfort from the chief selector's guarantee?

Every player knows there is no such thing as a lasting guarantee. Gilchrist is a freak of nature, a magnificent batsman and an underrated wicketkeeper. He has performed heroically under a huge workload. Still, he needs to succeed regularly as an opener following the stretch of 24 runs in five one-day innings which preceded his recent break.

Should his batting woes linger, he would seem likely to have a better chance to regain form in a less pressurised position down the order. The alternative would be to risk his struggles continuing as an opener, which could lead to his being dropped altogether, especially with Brad Haddin an able wicketkeeper-batsman in waiting. In that sense, Hohns's plan, an idea promoted independently by other judges, would seem the lesser of two evils.

In remaining as opener yesterday, Gilchrist seems to have benefited from a damage control operation which arose after Hohns's thoughts surfaced, as well as the fact Ponting was rested. His challenge now, with Phil Jaques in the wings, is to recover and score enough runs to ensure the idea of demoting him stays on the backburner.

- TREVOR MARSHALLSEA