Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist [Images] believes the World XI are favourites to win this week's super Test even though they lost the one-dayers 3-0.

"They are probably a little bit tail between their legs and they have something to prove which is a bit scary given the calibre of the players they have got," said Gilchrist, who was named man of the series in the three limited-overs matches.

"On paper they should be favourites to beat us. But on paper they were favourites to beat us in the one-day series as well and as you have seen it does not always turn out that way."

The six-day Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground begins on Friday and Gilchrist said he was surprised by some of the World IX selections.

He had expected Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara to be chosen as wicketkeeper because of his understanding with spinner Muttiah Muralitharan but instead the job went to South African Mark Boucher [Images].

"Kumar keeping so regularly and so well to Murali is probably what jumped out at me," Gilchrist said.

"I thought he might have been in the test position for that reason alone because I imagine it would be so difficult to take on in a one-off scenario.

"But their selection panel had plenty of time to ponder over it and they have come up with that one and Mark Boucher is a very well performed cricketer for South Africa as we know."