Gillespie seldom dominated a Test series (the most wickets he took in a series is 20), but he was a reliable support bowler over several years for his more famous teammates Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. For his performances in 2004, he was named both in the World Test XI and ODI XI by the ICC. However, Gillespie's career suffered an unexpectedly sharp decline. In early 2005, there were signs that he was struggling, with poor displays against New Zealand, but he was still considered Australia's leading fast-bowling partner for McGrath. This poor form continued into the 2005 Ashes series where he took just three wickets at a cost of 300 runs and was dropped after the third Test.