A statistical analysis of Adam Gilchrist’s career as a wicketkeeper
Cricinfo staff25-Jan-2008Adam Gilchrist hasn’t had a great time behind the stumps during the ongoing series, but held on to a catch offered by Anil Kumble off Mitchell Johnson to go past Mark Boucher as the wicketkeeper with most Test dismissals.Gilchrist now has 414 dismissals from 96 Tests; Boucher’s 413 came from 109 Tests. He averages an astounding 2.178 dismissals per Test innings; none other than him among the 20 most successful wicketkeepers manages two dismissals per Test.
Adam Gilchrist 96 414 377 37 2.178 Mark Boucher 109 413 394 19 1.976 Ian Healy 119 395 366 29 1.76 Rod Marsh 96 355 343 12 1.95 Jeff Dujon 79 270 265 5 1.80 Although Gilchrist is quicker to the mark, it’s certain that Boucher would eventually take over the record, given that he’s 31. At 36, Gilchrist is already under pressure to call it a day, with many voices suggesting that he should retire after completing a century of Tests. A bit of sloppy work of late hasn’t helped his cause as well.Boucher, however, still holds the mark for most catches – with 394 to Gilchrist’s 377. Gilchrist has kept a fair share against the spin of Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, which has helped him scalp 37 stumpings.Twenty of Gilchrist’s 37 stumpings have come off the bowling of Warne. However, the keeper has been more successful off Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. With 80 dismissals, Lee and Gilchrist need 16 more to overtake Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh as the most successful bowler-wicketkeeper combination in Tests.
Glenn McGrath 71 90 90 – Brett Lee 65 80 80 – Shane Warne 70 59 39 20 Jason Gillespie 57 58 58 – Stuart MacGill 30 22 10 12 Four more Tests will see Gilchrist become the fourth player to appear in 100 consecutive Tests for a team without missing one. Among wicketkeepers, Boucher is next-best with 75 consecutive matches.Gilchrist follows in the footsteps of Ian Healy and Rod Marsh in a line of great Australian wicketkeepers to hold the world record. However, it would be a daunting ask for the next line of Australian keepers to keep up to their predecessors.
50 11 10 19 100 21 23 33 150 3638 47 200 47 52 59 250 5963 74 300 72 79 88 350 8492 101 400 94 104 – 413 96 109 – 414 96 – – Besides his assured presence behind the stumps, it’s Gilchrist’s aggressive approach in front of it that makes the opposition wary of him. Gilchrist’s 5556 Test runs have come at a strike-rate of 81.97, stamping his authority as one of the leading wicketkeeper-batsmen of all time.
Adam Gilchrist 96 5556 47.89 17/26 Alec Stewart 82 4540 34.92 6/23 Andy Flower 55 4404 53.70 12/23 Alan Knott 95 4389 32.75 5/30 Ian Healy 119 4356 27.39 4/22 Mark Boucher 109 4064 30.10 4/27 Rod Marsh 96 3633 26.51 3/16
