Gilchrist snatches wicketkeeping record

Adam 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.

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.

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.

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.

Leading wicketkeeper-batsmen in Tests*

Player	Matches	Runs	Average	100/50
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

*Includes only Tests played as wicketkeeper.