AUSTRALIAN wicketkeeper Peter Nevill has been set an almighty challenge as he prepares to move up to No. 6 in the Australian batting order: score more Test hundreds than Adam Gilchrist.
Thats the faith selectors have in the quietly-spoken gloveman who is growing in stature by the day in this Australian team.
Rod Marsh, one of Australias greatest ever behind the stumps believes in Nevills batting ability to the extent that hes even willing to mention him in the same conversation as Gilchrist, a force who reshaped modern-day cricket with his extraordinary 17 Test hundreds.
Asked his opinion on Nevills batting, Marsh didnt hold back.
We hope that he can make more Test hundreds than any other Australian wicketkeeper, said Marsh.
How does that sound? That would be a good solution for Australias batting.
Marsh is even willing to give Nevill, yet to score a maiden Test ton, a headstart.
Given the green, difficult conditions that confronted batsmen in the pink ball Adelaide Test, Marsh has deduced that Nevills crucial 66 in the first innings was worth double.
The way I looked at this Test match was normally on Adelaide Oval 400 is a half-decent first-innings score, said Marsh.
It was 200 on both sides so I just doubled everyones score
and looked at it that way. I thought it was a fair way of doing it so Nevills 132 was brilliant.
Nevill averages just 27.30 from his seven Tests, but his two 50s have come in desperate situations when wickets have been collapsing around him.
The right-handers 59 at Birmingham wasnt matchwinning but it saved Australia the humiliation of losing a Test in two days.
His knock in Adelaide though, which formed the backbone of a record 74-run ninth-wicket stand with Nathan Lyon that doubled as the highest partnership of the match was absolutely crucial in Australias nailbiting triumph.
Gilchrist scored his runs at a stunning strike-rate of 81.95, but although Nevill lacks the same explosive tendencies, he has a pedigree as a fighter, which is just what the doctor ordered for this fragile Australian batting line-up.
Nevill averages a solid 41.01 with the bat in first-class cricket and plenty of those runs have been scored coming in at difficult moments for NSW.
Captain Steve Smith is set to reward Nevills technique with a promotion in the batting order over the struggling Mitchell Marsh.
Rod Marsh was leaving that decision to Smith but is in no doubt that Nevill will rise to the task if elevated to the top six.
He had a terrific game, a fantastic game (in Adelaide), said Marsh.
His Shield record would suggest that he can bat. He took a little while to find his feet at Test level against the moving ball under trying conditions in England, but the thing that we all liked about him was the fact that
the opposition had to get him out. Its a good trait in a batsman, that.
They were difficult batting conditions (in Adelaide)
youve got to give credit to our blokes who basically got through with nine players fit in the second innings (Mitch Starc and Peter Siddle injured).
