Gilchrist sees similarities between his Test rise and Careys
Adam Gilchrist expects Alex Carey to warm up to test cricket as he knows the benefits of many years of training in the brightly colored clothes before he puts on the wide green.
Carey, who led the Australian ODI team earlier this year and represented his country in 83 white ball games, will replace Tim Paine at the Gabba behind the stumps in the Ashes opener next week.
The catalyst for Carey's rise, confirmed Thursday, is very different from the one that led Gilchrist to succeed Ian Healy as test wicketkeeper on the same site in 1999.
Carey is not as dynamic as Gilchrist; nor has he enjoyed the same stability while beating at every point from No. 1 to No. 8 for Australia. But Gilchrist, who gave Carey a technical vote over the phone last month, says the past few years will help the South Australian make a pressurized Test debut against England.
"I see a lot of similarities between Alex's trip and mine," Gilchrist told AAP at the Fox Cricket season opener. "When I went out to hit Mark Waugh was at the bottom of the non-striker and I'd opened with him over 70 times.
"Starting my testing career wasn't entirely new. It was a really nice, calming atmosphere of familiarity. It doesn't guarantee success, but it certainly gives you a nice launch pad. "Alex deserves the opportunity, he worked really hard in this white ball setup. His stance has been really consistent, I think he will warm up really well to test cricket."
Carey, who defeated Josh Inglis in a selection showdown to replace former captain Paine in a 15-player roster for the first two Tests, will be the first glove man to be presented with a baggy green on home soil since Gilchrist . Carey, whose head is still spinning after delivering the news to a tearful mother, father, and wife, hoped previous experiences with the Australian test attack would help keep all nerves in "the greatest game I've played." " to calm down.
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Carey has crossed 50 in just one of eight Sheffield Shield innings this season, but posted a timely one-day century on Sunday. For the past three seasons, he has celebrated four hundreds of shield from nine games while routinely missing out on red ball cricket to play ODIs and T20s.
"The focus has never really been on his stance. As always this day, when you're a goalkeeper, it's all about the runs," said Gilchrist. "He got in touch a few weeks ago to talk about a few things. "He's going to touch the ground a lot - whether it's about little technical stuff, clubs and gloves, approaching or just what I've seen. There aren't a lot of us goalkeepers so you have to try to stick together."