The mood in the Indian camp was summed up best by the skipper after a green pitch was unveiled on eve of the maiden Test at the new facility.
Penpix of players in Australia's Ashes squad.
Gilchrist said home conditions would make Australia hard to beat when the World Cup starts next October.
Cricket Australia has come under pressure from the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) to end the bans following the release of the Longstaff review.
Fast bowler Mitchell Starc picked up his second five-wicket haul in the match to lead Australia to a comprehensive 366-run victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka and a 2-0 series win.
Pacer Vernon Philander claimed six for 21 as South Africa thrashed Australia by a huge margin of 492 runs to claim the four-match series 3-1, in Johannesburg, on Tuesday.
Usman Khawaja scored 75 runs to lead an Australia fightback on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park, but succumbed just before close of play after seeing the tourists cancel out a first innings deficit.
CCTV footage from the players' tunnel at Kingsmead showed Australia vice-captain David Warner and South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock involved in a fiery exchange as players climbed the stairwell to their dressing rooms during the tea break.
Having dismissed Australia for a paltry 145 in their first innings, Pakistan stretched their lead to a daunting 281 by stumps on day two with Zaman's 66 and an unbeaten 54 by Ali taking them to 144-2.
England's rampant one-day side powered to a fourth straight win over Australia, following up their world record rampage at Trent Bridge with a commanding six-wicket victory at Chester-le-Street on Thursday led by centurion Jason Roy.
Batsmen Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh were all dropped from the squad that lost a home Test series against India for the first time.
Despite the pair making certain of selection, doubts remain in other areas of captain Tim Paine's team, with opener Matt Renshaw picking up a head injury after being struck by the ball during the tour game that ended on Tuesday.
The India team sent out a message saying Ashwin was after all to be included in the squad and a decision on whether he played would not be made until the first morning of the match on Thursday.
In the bowlers list, Bumrah achieved a career-high ranking of 28 while fellow teammate Mohammad Shami moved two places to 24th.
Virat Kohli's side are determined to keep the momentum rolling into the second clash in Perth and inch closer to a breakthrough series triumph Down Under.
Australia's cricketers will just have to bear English taunts over the ball-tampering affair on tour next month for the one-day international series, spinner Nathan Lyon has said.
Paine's batting lineup has been rated the worst Australia has ever, so the bowlers could well be under pressure
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 5th Ashes Test played between England and Australia on Thursday.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja on Thursday hinted he could bat in the middle order in the upcoming four-Test series against India, starting in Adelaide on December 6.
Australia, with Steve Smith back in their line-up, will retain the Ashes with victory in the fourth Test, while a win for England would set up a decider at the Oval next week.
Vice-captain Warner remains a doubt after hurting his neck when going for a high catch during training at the Gabba on Tuesday, although Australia skipper Steve Smith backed him to be fit and ready for the start of the five-match series.
Jofra Archer's first five-wicket haul in Test cricket put England in command on a weather-affected opening day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley on Thursday as they bowled Australia out for 179.
Siddle said he was keen to see his friends back on the field but that by serving their bans in full they would be helping clean up the game.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at Lord's on Sunday
Steve Smith stepped down as Australia captain on Sunday and has been suspended for one Test by the International Cricket Council amid stunning ball-tampering revelations that have plunged the test team into crisis.
Images from Day 2 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, on Thursday.
With day-night matches seen as a possible solution to Test cricket's dwindling attendances, Australia are hopeful that India will agree to play one at the Gabba next year.
Kagiso Rabada produced a sublime spell of bowling to take five wickets as Australia were dismissed for 243 in their first innings on the opening day of the second Test on Friday.
The top two teams with most points as of April 30, 2021 will then contest in the WTC final in June 2021 in the UK.
Australia captain Tim Paine has cast doubt over his One-Day International future after his touring side were thumped 5-0 by England, who sealed the series whitewash with a one-wicket victory in Manchester on Sunday.
Banned former Australian captain Steve Smith, on Wednesday, said Cricket Australia executives James Sutherland and Pat Howard played a key role in spreading the toxic 'win at all costs' culture
Australia were disappointed to miss out on the prized wicket of Virat Kohli on a tough opening day of the third Test
CSA on Friday said that Marco Jansen has replaced Ottniel Baartman, who has been ruled out "due to medical reasons of a separate nature.".
Australia opening batsman Aaron Finch has declared himself fit for the Boxing Day Test against India in Melbourne and said his injured finger would need to be cut off to prevent him from playing in front of his home state's fans.
Australia made a stuttering start to coach Justin Langer's tenure as they lost by three wickets to England in the opening match of the one-day series at The Oval.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on Monday.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between Australia and India, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Saturday.
Australia captain Steve Smith brushed off concerns about his fitness on the eve of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England on Wednesday before Mitchell Starc's return to spearhead the pace attack was confirmed as the only change to his team.
Usman Khawaja found his scoring touch and fast bowler Mitchell Starc returned to his fiery best as Australia moved within sight of victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Manuka Oval on Sunday.
Burns, who had scored the last of his three Test hundreds against New Zealand in early 2016, was batting on 107, the first century by an Australian batsman since Usman Khawaja's 141 in the drawn Dubai Test against Pakistan last October.