Our guys will start favourites," the 43-year-old Gilchrist said in a recent interaction with dna.
Unlike Glenn McGrath, former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist is not known to make predictions ahead of a series. The lanky and mean new-ball bowler has a penchant to predict the outcome of a series, and has more often than not ended up calling it right. Much like his accurate line and length.
But McGrath's team-mate Gilchrist has not gone the same way other than saying Australia begin favourites in the upcoming Ashes starting in Cardiff on July 8.
"Our guys will start favourites," the 43-year-old Gilchrist said in a recent interaction with dna. "Rightly so, we have got a really strong bowling line-up at the moment, particularly in the seam department. The batsmen score the runs but Test cricket is all about taking 20 wickets, so our guys are well positioned for that. I am not making any predictions, I am never one to predict scorelines but our guys start favourites."
Gilchrist was part of four Ashes campaigns from 2001 to 2007, winning three of them (4-1 in 2001, 4-1 in 2002-03 and 5-0 in 2006-07) while ending up on the losing in that epic 2005 series in England that the hosts won 2-1. He made a memorable Ashes debut, scoring 152 off just 143 balls at Edgbaston in 2001, the century coming in his 18th Test.
Personally for Gilchrist, Ashes meant a lot. "My first Ashes Test was my 18th Test match. I was nervous that morning as I was nervous on the morning of my first Test. The history of it, from an Australian perspective, Ashes is the series that you want on your resume. Joining that history was nerve-wracking but a very proud moment. That rivalry is definitely there. But I think all rivalries around world cricket now with social media and the media coverage is built bigger and bigger. It is great that they are all hard-fought series."
Gilchrist did not dwell too much into the Kevin Pietersen absence from the England squad. Australian captain Michael Clarke recently said that England were weaker by the Pietersen snub. But Gilchrist looked at it practically.
"Michael Clarke is on record saying he is glad KP is not playing because he feels KP is danger. No doubt about it. KP is a world-class player. He is still producing some very impressive results. Regardless of opinion, it seems like his book is closed now. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Andrew Strauss (ECB director) have made that call. There is not much use talking about it or having any hypothetical scenarios. The reality is that he is not there."
On the appointment of Australian Trevor Bayliss as coach of England ahead of the Ashes, Gilchrist said: "It is a very good rational appointment."
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