Profile of Adam Gilchrist

Full Name: Adam Craig Gilchrist

Born: November 14, 1971 in New South Wales, Australia

Batting Style Left-handed batsman

Bowling Style Right-arm offbreak

Fielding Position: Wicketkeeper

Test Debut Pakistan vs. Australia at Brisbane – November 5-9, 1999

ODI Debut South Africa vs. Australia at Faridabad – October 25, 1996

Adam Gilchrist’s name is synonymous with exhilaration and passion, as far as the game of cricket is concerned. He is invariably the best wicketkeeper. A powerful hitter of the cricket ball, Gilchrist’s philosophy as a batsman says, “Just hit the ball”.

Master at the art of sledging, Adam Gilchrist is chirpy, smart and tidy behind the wickets. His safe pair of hands have seldom missed catches or given away unnecessary runs. In fact, Gilchrist has to his credit some of the most astounding catches in the history of wicketkeeping.

As a batsman, he has opened the innings on many occasions, scoring at a reckless pace, and ravaging the best of bowlers. He has often been seen lower down the order, sent specially to get a particular situation under control. The best thing about Adam Gilchrist is that he has never failed to live up to expectations.

Despite making his ODI debut in 1996, Adam Gilchrist played in the longer version of the game only by 1999. For long, critics considered his flamboyance unsuited to Test cricket. However, he has proved everyone wrong eventually. In 90 Tests, he has an average of 49 and strike rate of 82. For a lower order batsman, these statistics are credible.

In 287 One-day international matches, Adam Gilchrist has 417 catches and 55 stumpings to his credit. His batting average stands at 36, while the strike rate is a whopping 99. He has scored 9619 runs. When he plays his shots, the opposition can do nothing but stare in bewilderment. Mere numbers can never indicate Adam Gilchrist’s contribution to Australia’s supremacy at top of international cricket. His grandness will be noticeable once he decides to hang his boots.