Australia vs India 2018/19: 'Without Smith and Warner, it's a Struggle' - Adam Gilchrist

When was the last time Australia went down fighting in the home summer? I don’t remember, at least. The India National Cricket Team had an unprecedented tour of tour Down Under. Not only they retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time on the Australian soil; they also won the bilateral series (2-1), leaving the hosts in complete disarray. Adam Gilchrist, addressing the matter at the MCG said in the absence of Steven Smith and David Warner, the Australian batting has been a struggle.

Gilchrist rues lack of quality in the Australian batting

Australia was apparently on the backfoot or instead had a defensive approach while batting in the ODIs. Though there were a few half-centurions, only Shaun Marsh had struck a hundred. Looking at the current batting scenario, veteran keeper, Gilchrist opened up about the same.

He pointed out Aaron Finch, their ODI captain, who has been woefully out of form. Gilchrist added with the skipper failing with the bat and the rest of the batsmen not coming to form, the results are hurting Australia. In the white-ball cricket, they had struggled a lot in 2018; and in their hopes of turning the tables around in 2019, they failed. Meanwhile, Adam Gilchrist then said the absence of Smith and Warner did a world of wrong to the Aussies.

“With no Steve Smith and David Warner, it’s a struggle. We don’t have the quality of batsmen, with the required confidence, to attack and it just hasn’t helped that (white-ball captain) Aaron Finch is woefully out of form…

“There are a couple of players who can do the job, but they are actually playing for places. They’re playing for their spots. So, it’s not a nice picture at all,” he said.

Adam hoping for fortune turnaround when WC approaches

Steven Smith recently had undergone surgery on his injured shoulder; ruling him out of the BPL 2019 and for the major part of the IPL 2019 as well. However, Gilchrist thinks, if he stays fit, Australia’s confidence will get a boost. But, if by any mean, Smith doesn’t recover on time, things would only get worst for the five-time champions.

“In that case, it will be a bigger struggle. I hope that isn’t so, for we have an exceptional record in the World Cup, having won it five times,”

Australia will now host Sri Lanka for two Tests, starting at the Gabba, Brisbane on January 24th.