The walker, the keeper

Only reflecting on that intense period now does Gilchrist realise how isolated he felt at the time. Those around him barely knew what state he was in. "No one else really knew what was going on. Team-mates, not really. We were all going through such similar rides, anyway. All on the same journey. All away from home. Mel [his wife] was trying to make me aware of it at the time. I was becoming more moody when I'd never been a moody, bring-the-game-home person. Cricket had never before affected my life and my mood and my thoughts, but through that time it began to. My moods and my mindset were being dictated to by results: low-score life was bad, big-score life was good. I had never been that type before." In the aftermath of the defeat, why did the team not share the loss and ­support each other? "I've come to the ­conclusion that we don't do that enough, or we didn't when I was playing. It might be against the male instinct. I'm probably a little bit the other way. I've always been keen to express my emotions and my feelings. There was the odd time when I felt a ­little bit alienated from the group."

When you were trying to make it as a state cricketer you used to drive a truck. What was in your truck?

“Early in my career I was regarded as more of a batsman than a bowler and I still see myself that way. Scoring runs actually gives me more pleasure and satisfaction than taking wickets but all the stop-start cricket I’ve had because of the injuries has affected my batting more than my bowling. I’m confident it’ll come right again and on a personal level the next Test century of my career will be more rewarding than a five-for.”