Gilchrist says Oz Ashes batting woes `mental` rather than `technical`

Johannesburg: Australian wicketkeeping legend Adam Gilchrist has said that the current squad`s problems in the Ashes are `mental` rather than technical, adding that blaming limited overs cricket for the struggles of Australia`s Test batsmen is wrong.

Batting collapses in both innings at Lord`s handed England a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series, and Australia head into the third match at Old Trafford on Thursday with forecasts of a humiliating whitewash ringing in their ears. The report further said that Australia`s specialist batsmen have been mostly woeful on tour in England, surrendering their wickets cheaply and putting their bowlers under vast pressure to protect razor-thin targets. Although many Australian experts have attributed their batsmen`s travails to the stand-and-deliver approach honed in Twenty20 cricket, making them ill-equipped to be patient in a longer form, however, Gilchrist said that he believed that the Australian batsmen are showing a disappointing mental approach in making their choices and decisions. Gilchrist, whose aggressive batting terrorised bowlers across the globe in a brilliant career of 96 tests and 287 one-day internationals, said that had the Australians Test batting been compounded by their playing in T20s, their opponents would also be struggling at the crease as the format is played internationally. According to Gilchrist, the top-six of England, who all feature in the one-day format, if not in T20s, have shown an ability to adapt and mould their game around the required scenario, adding that Australia`s problems is in their mindset, rather than their skills or technique. Gilchrist further said that the challenge is to get through whatever is required at the time and flourish later on, although he added that the team should forget about the scoreline as history shows that it will be difficult for Australia to win the third Test. Gilchrist, who averaged over 47 in Tests with an extraordinary strike-rate of 81.95 runs per 100 balls, also said that although stability is required in the team, it is up to the players to make that stability. Despite few justifying their places with runs, Gilchrist said selectors should give their top six another go at Old Trafford , and bring captain Michael Clarke back up to fourth in the order to anchor their innings. ANI