Home Statsman All about Test wicketkeepers (Part IV): Rishabh Pant in focus Rishabh Pant features in the elite list of young stumpers to take eight or more dismissals in a Test. He took 11 catches against Australia in Adelaide in 2018. Mohandas Menon 08 August, 2020 21:31 IST India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant in action in Australia in 2018. - FILE PHOTO/ AP Mohandas Menon 08 August, 2020 21:31 IST Since the very beginning of cricket, a wicketkeeper’s skill has always been applied behind the wickets. His most important skill is his ability to catch the ball, be it with one hand or both, either from a nearly stationary position standing close to the batsman or affecting a quick dive or sprint, or even a stumping. However, in modern-day cricket, a ’keeper’s job specs are not only to perform well behind the wickets in terms of taking catches, executing stumpings and limiting the number of byes, but to also perform well as a batsman. Therefore, the position is of a specialist or an all-rounder in the playing XI.In the fourth and final part of this statistical analysis on Test wicketkeepers, we take a look at the youngest and oldest to keep wickets in Test cricket. Some of them have also the distinction of registering centuries and claiming maximum dismissals at a very young or old age. The tables below list all such players.Teenage Test wicketkeepers on debutAgeWicketkeeperCountryOpponentVenueDateResult17 years, 152 daysParthiv PatelIndiaEnglandNottinghamAugust 8, 2002Drawn17 years, 300 daysHanif MohammadPakistanIndiaDelhiOctober 16, 1952Lost18 years, 66 daysTatenda TaibuZimbabweWest IndiesBulawayoJuly 19, 2001Lost18 years, 167 daysIkram AikhilAfghanistanIrelandDehradunMarch 15, 2019Won19 years, 52 daysAsanka GurusinhaSri LankaPakistanKarachiNovember 7, 1985Lost19 years, 61 daysMoin KhanPakistanWest IndiesFaisalabadNovember 23, 1990Lost19 years, 77 daysIvan BarrowWest IndiesEnglandKingstonApril 3, 1930Drawn19 years, 126 daysWasim BariPakistanEnglandLord’sJuly 27, 1967Drawn19 years, 155 daysDinesh KarthikIndiaAustraliaMumbai (Wankhede)November 3, 2004Won19 years, 163 daysAdam ParoreNew ZealandEnglandBirminghamJuly 5, 1990LostOldest Test wicketkeepers on debutAgeWicketkeeperCountryOpponentVenueDateResult39 years, 360 daysArthur WoodEnglandAustraliaThe OvalAugust 20, 1938Won38 years, 272 daysJohnny LindsaySouth AfricaEnglandNottinghamJune 7, 1947Drawn37 years, 184 daysHammy LoveAustraliaEnglandBrisbaneFebruary 10, 1933Lost37 years, 33 daysHarry SmithEnglandWest IndiesLord’sJune 23, 1928Won36 years, 185 daysNiall O’BrienIrelandPakistanDublinMay 12, 2018Lost36 years, 94 daysHarry ElliotEnglandSouth AfricaDurbanFebruary 4, 1928Lost36 years, 88 daysFred PriceEnglandAustraliaLeedsJuly 22, 1938LostNote: Fred Price and Arthur Wood kept wickets for England in successive Test matches, as did Harry Elliott and Harry Smith.Oldest Test wicketkeepersAgeWicketkeeperCountryOpponentVenueDateResult46 years, 202 daysBert StrudwickEnglandAustraliaThe OvalAugust 18, 1926Won43 years, 259 daysSammy CarterAustraliaSouth AfricaCape TownNovember 29, 1926Won42 years, 257 daysDick LilleyEnglandAustraliaThe OvalAugust 11, 1909Drawn42 years, 251 daysBert StrudwickEnglandPakistanLahoreMarch 24, 1984Drawn42 years, 175 daysBert OldfieldAustraliaEnglandMelbourneMarch 3, 1937Won42 years, 103 daysHarry ElliotEnglandIndiaMadrasFebruary 13, 1934Won40 years, 362 daysArthur WoodEnglandWest IndiesThe OvalAugust 22, 1939Drawn40 years, 223 daysJack BlackhamAustraliaEnglandSydneyDecember 20, 1894Lost40 years, 153 daysAlec StewartEnglandSouth AfricaThe OvalSeptember 4, 2003WonYoungest wicketkeepers to make a maiden Test centuryAgeWicketkeeperScoreCountryOpponentVenueDateResult20 years, 150 daysAjay Ratra115*IndiaWest IndiesSt John’sMay 12, 2002Drawn20 years, 342 daysRishabh Pant114IndiaEnglandThe OvalSeptember 11, 2018Lost21 years, 188 daysVijay Manjrekar118IndiaWest IndiesKingstonApril 2, 1953Drawn21 years, 248 daysTatenda Taibu153ZimbabweBangladeshDhakaJanuary 17, 2005Drawn22 years, 43 daysMark Boucher100South AfricaWest IndiesCenturionJanuary 15, 1999Won Ajay Ratra. - THE HINDU ARCHIVES Youngest wicketkeeper to make a Test 200AgeWicketkeeperScoreCountryOpponentVenueDateResult24 years, 131 daysKumar Sangakkara230Sri LankaPakistanLahoreMarch 7, 2002Won Kumar Sangakkara - FILE PHOTO/ REUTERS Oldest wicketkeepers to make a maiden Test centuryAgeWicketkeeperScoreCountryOpponentVenueDateResult38 years, 98 daysHarry Wood134*EnglandSouth AfricaCape TownMarch 21, 1892Won35 years, 111 daysDave Richardson109South AfricaNew ZealandCape TownJanuary 5, 1995Won34 years, 262 daysBilly Wade125South AfricaEnglandPort ElizabethMarch 7, 1949Lost33 years, 265 daysAlec Stewart101*EnglandZimbabweHarareDecember 29, 1996DrawnOldest wicketkeeper to make a Test 200AgeWicketkeeperScoreCountryOpponentVenueDateResult34 years, 138 daysBradley-John Watling205New ZealandEnglandMount MaunganuiNovember 24, 2019WonYoungest wicketkeepers to take five or more dismissals in a Test inningsAgeWicketkeeperDismissalsCountryOpponentVenueDateResult20 years, 319 daysRishabh Pant5 (5 catches)IndiaEnglandNottinghamAugust 19, 2018Won20 years, 326 daysChris Read6 (5 catches+1 stumping)EnglandNew ZealandBirminghamJuly 2, 1999Won21 years, 8 daysAdam Parore5 (5 catches)New ZealandEnglandAucklandJanuary 31, 1992Lost21 years, 48 daysNiroshan Dickwella5 (5 catches)Sri LankaPakistanGalleAugust 10, 2014Won20 years, 54 daysNiroshan Dickwella5 (5 catches)Sri LankaPakistanColombo (SSC)August 16, 2014WonNote:The youngest Test keeper to claim seven dismissals in an innings is Pakistan’s Wasim Bari (30 years, 337 days) against New Zealand at Auckland on February 23, 1979, in a draw.The oldest Test keeper to claim seven dismissals in an innings is England’s Bob Taylor (38 years, 213 days) against India at Mumbai (Wankhede) on February, 15, 1980, in a winning cause.Oldest wicketkeepers to claim five or more dismissals in a Test inningsAgeWicketkeeperDismissalsCountryOpponentVenueDateResult38 years, 284 daysWally Grout5 (5 catches)AustraliaEnglandSydneyJanuary 8, 1966Lost38 years, 213 daysBob Taylor7 (7 catches)EnglandIndiaMumbai (Wankhede)February 15, 1980Won38 years, 104 daysAlec Stewart5 (5 catches)EnglandAustraliaLord’sJuly 21, 2001Lost37 years, 233 daysBrad Haddin5 (5 catches)AustraliaWest IndiesKingstonJune 13, 2015Won37 years, 137 daysBob Taylor5 (5 catches)EnglandAustraliaBrisbaneDecember 1, 1978WonYoungest wicketkeepers to claim eight or more dismissals in a Test matchAgeWicketkeeperDismissalsCountryOpponentVenueDateResult20 years, 326 daysChris Read8 (7 catches+1 stumping)EnglandNew ZealandBirminghamJuly 2, 1999Won21 years, 67 daysRishabh Pant11 (11 catches)IndiaAustraliaAdelaideDecember 10, 2018Won21 years, 97 daysMark Boucher9 (8 catches+1 stumping)South AfricaPakistanPort ElizabethMarch 10, 1998Won21 years, 215 daysQuinton de Kock9 (8 catches+1 stumping)South AfricaSri LankaGalleJuly 20, 2014Won23 years, 40 daysQuinton de Kock8 (8 catches)South AfricaEnglandCenturionJanuary 26, 2016WonOldest wicketkeepers to claim eight or more dismissals in a Test matchAgeWicketkeeperDismissalsCountryOpponentVenueDateResult38 years, 217 daysBob Taylor10 (10 catches)EnglandIndiaMumbai (Wankhede)February 19, 1980Won37 years, 58 daysBrad Haddin9 (9 catches)AustraliaIndiaBrisbaneDecember 20, 2014Won36 years, 286 daysGil Langley9 (8 catches+1 stumping)AustraliaEnglandLord’sJune 26, 1956Won36 years, 266 daysAlec Stewart8 (8 catches)EnglandSouth AfricaDurbanDecember 30, 1999Drawn36 years, 55 daysBrad Haddin8 (8 catches)AustraliaEnglandPerthDecember 17, 2013Won Read more stories on Statsman. 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