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Keeper of the faith sees a big score just around the corner

Source: smh.com.au - December 23, 2005

His batting form having shown signs of reappearing in Perth, Adam Gilchrist's confidence has been restored sufficiently to allow thoughts of a major contribution in the Boxing Day Test.

Given the run of outs Gilchrist endured before the first Test would not count as a form slump for most other batsmen, it could be argued a 44 off 58 balls in the second innings should not count as a form return.

But Gilchrist, and no doubt the team hierarchy, will have been sufficiently pleased with the sparkle in the left-hander's knock - particularly after he was dropped and then dismissed on six in the first innings - to expect bigger things at the MCG.

After averaging only 22.62 through the Ashes tour, Gilchrist followed a 94 in the Super Test against the World XI by averaging 17.33 for his three Test innings against the West Indies. After selectors had been overruled in their desire to give him a well-earned break during the Chappell-Hadlee series, Gilchrist lurched through that limited-overs affair with scores of three, eight and nought.

Gilchrist felt before that tour that the alarm bells had been sounded prematurely. He had also blazed a 103 off 79 balls in the first one-dayer against the World XI and made a valuable 44 at an important time in the first Test against the West Indies.

Having failed in New Zealand, however, he admitted yesterday he had gone to Perth with confidence shaky. After his 44, having holed out in the deep with Australia nearing their declaration, South Africa have reason to fear a more characteristic Gilchrist innings at the MCG, where he will go in search of his first century at the famous ground.

"Your confidence does drop a little bit when you miss out a few times. I had done that in the previous two Tests and in New Zealand, so it had been a little while since I'd made any significant score," said the 34-year-old. "You've just got to keep believing. I haven't broken through with a big one yet but it certainly feels like it's going in the right direction."

Gilchrist would not declare his Perth innings a return to top form but said there were encouraging signs. "I started to feel all right the other day in the middle. I got past 10, which was nice, I hadn't done that in a couple of months," he said. "I initially went in to get started and build an innings. But then the game scenario crept into my mind and I wanted to push it along to enable us to declare. But if I'm thinking like that it means I'm thinking more naturally, like I do when I'm playing well."

Gilchrist said he was expecting a "pretty good all-round cricket wicket" from the drop-in pitch at the just-renovated MCG. He was also expecting no problems in the outfield, where the Commonwealth Games running track has been covered in soil and carpeted in turf.

Gilchrist also gave some support to Richie Benaud's assertion this week that Shane Warne could bowl on until the 2009 Ashes series in England.

"I've got no doubt he can go as long as he wants. He's got the hunger. He just loves it," he said. " He knows the rigours of international cricket and he knows when he can play until."

- TREVOR MARSHALLSEA