After watching South Africa's batsmen skip away to be in a solid position at the end of day one of the third Test, Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist was disappointed with the final score at stumps (230-3).
Speaking immediately after the day's play, Gilchrist said that while the Aussies should perhaps have done better on a wicket that was so seamer friendly, he believes early breakthroughs will be the key on day two.
"(It was) a bit frustrating - they played well on a wicket that was doing a little bit early on so we're a little bit disappointed with the way the day finished, the way the result turned out," Gilchrist said.
"But we come back tomorrow, and the old line - we get a couple of early ones and we'll be right back amongst it."
Gilchrist was quick to turn attention away from the happenings in the Test match to address questions regarding his current form slump with the bat.
Having struggled in recent times with the bat, Gilchrist is desperate to post a big score in Sydney for the sole purposes of team contribution as opposed to the easing of possible external pressures.
"I desperately want runs but I don’t feel pressure from anything external, I guess I've always thought that pressure is what you put on yourself but as far as external things, I haven't even thought of anything else," Gilchrist said
"I'm desperately keen obviously - you know you go through three or four low scores and you say 'oh it's nothing, it's no big deal', and it's continued on and its definitely been the longest run of low scores I've had to endure in my international career in either form of the game," he added.
"I think the biggest frustration too is just walking off, and the games finishing, and knowing you haven't really contributed to the teams cause with the bat, and again that's new for me and I'm dealing with that."
Gilchrist is adamant that the main reason he is in the team is for his wicket-keeping, not his batting, and believes that his keeping hasn't suffered at all in the face of his batting slump.
"I guess you fall back to your keeping, and I've always said that that's my number one job so I stand by that."
"Through my career if I've been batting well, I've kept well and vice versa so again this is an odd scenario for me where the runs aren't coming, but I'm managing the other side really well," he said.
Wicket-keeping legend Ian Healey has had many positive comments to say about Gilchrist's keeping recently, including the fact that he thinks Gilchrist is keeping as well as he ever has - a comment Gilchrist was cautious about.
"I know I'm going to spill one if I say that I agree with that…it's a wonderful compliment from the best gloveman I saw in international cricket, and a hero of mine," Gilchrist said.
"That really is a nice compliment to me from such a legend of the game."
