All about Test cricket wicketkeepers – Part II
In the second part of this statistical analysis on Test wicketkeepers, we take a look at their performances with the gloves.
Published : Jul 13, 2020 20:20 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 second part of this statistical analysis on Test wicketkeepers, we take a look at their performances with the gloves.
Most dismissals in a Test innings
| Dismissals (catches + stumpings) | Wicketkeeper | Country | Opposition | Venue | Date | Result |
| 7 (7 + 0) | Wasim Bari | Pakistan | New Zealand | Auckland | February 23, 1979 | Drawn |
| 7 (7 + 0) | Bob Taylor | England | India | Mumbai (Wankhede) | February 15, 1980 | Won |
| 7 (7 + 0) | Ian Smith | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Hamilton | February 24, 1991 | Drawn |
| 7 (7 + 0) | Ridley Jacobs | West Indies | Australia | Melbourne | December 27, 2000 | Lost |
Notes:
- There are 32 instances of six dismissals by wicketkeepers in a Test innings.
- South Africa's Mark Boucher is the only keeper to take six or more dismissals in an innings on four occasions, followed by England’s Chris Read with three. Two other English keepers, Jack Russell and Matt Prior, and New Zealand’s Bradey-John Watling have done it twice!
Most dismissals in a Test match
| Dismissals (catches + stumpings) | Wicketkeeper | Country | Opposition | Venue | Date | Result |
| 11 (11 + 0) | Jack Russell | England | South Africa | Johannesburg | December 3, 1995 | Drawn |
| 11 (11 + 0) | A. B. de Villiers | South Africa | Pakistan | Johannesburg | February 4, 2013 | Won |
| 11 (11 + 0) | Rishabh Pant | India | Australia | Adelaide | December 10, 2018 | Won |
Notes:
- There are 34 instances of nine or more dismissals by wicketkeepers in a Test match, including four instances of 10 dismissals in a match.
- South Africa's Mark Boucher is the only keeper to achieve nine or more dismissals in a match on three occasions, while the following keepers have done it twice – Sri Lanka's Amal Silva, England’s Jack Russell and Jonny Bairstow, Australia's Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin, and New Zealand's Bradley-John Watling.
Most dismissals in a Test series
| Dismissals (catches + stumpings) | Matches | Wicketkeeper | Country | Opposition | Venue | Season |
| 29 (29 +0) | 5 | Brad Haddin | Australia | England | England | 2013 |
| 28 (20 +0) | 5 | Rodney Marsh | Australia | England | Australia | 1982-83 |
| 27 (25 + 2) | 5 | Jack Russell | England | South Africa | South Africa | 1995-96 |
| 27 (25 + 2) | 6 | Ian Healy | Australia | England | England | 1997 |
Notes:
- There are 14 instances of 25 or more dismissals by wicketkeepers in a Test series.
- Australian Adam Gilchrist in the only keeper to achieve 25 or more dismissals in a Test series on four occasions, followed by countrymen Ian Healy and Rodney Marsh doing so on three and two occasions, respectively.
- There are 58 instances of 20 or more dismissals by wicketkeepers in a Test series.
- Australians Rodney Marsh, Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist have all done it on five occasions each.
Most Test dismissals in a calendar year
| Dismissals (catches + stumpings) | Matches | Wicketkeeper | Country | Year |
| 70 (66 +4) | 17 | Jonny Bairstow | England | 2016 |
| 67 (58 + 9) | 16 | Ian Healy | Australia | 1993 |
| 67 (65 + 2) | 13 | Mark Boucher | South Africa | 1998 |
| 66 (58 + 8) | 14 | Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 2004 |
| 59 (55 + 4) | 15 | Ian Healy | Australia | 1997 |
Most Test dismissals in a career
| Dismissals (catches + stumpings) | Matches | Wicketkeeper | Country | Career span |
| 555 (532 +23) | 147 | Mark Boucher | South Africa+ | 1997-2012 |
| 416 (379 + 37) | 96 | Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 1999-2008 |
| 395 (366 + 29) | 119 | Ian Healy | Australia | 1988-99 |
| 355 (343 + 12) | 96 | Rodney Marsh | Australia | 1970-84 |
| 294 (256 +38) | 90 | M. S. Dhoni | India | 2005-14 |
+ Also appeared in one Test for ICC World XI in 2005 (took two catches).
Most Test stumpings
| In an innings | 5 | Kiran More for India vs West Indies at Chennai, January 15, 1988 (Won) |
| In a match | 6 | Kiran More for India vs West Indies at Chennai, January 15, 1988 (Won) |
| In a series | 9 | Dick Lelley in five matches for England vs Australia in Australia in 1903-04 |
| Percy Sherwell in five matches for South Africa versus Australia in Australia in 1910-11 | ||
| In a career | 52 | Bert Oldfield in 54 matches for Australia between 1920 and 1937 |
Most career dismissals by a wicketkeeper in Test cricket - how the record changed hands
| Dismissals (catches + stumpings) | Wicketkeeper | Country | Achieved against | Venue | Date | Result | Record dismissals (catches + stumpings) |
| 50 (30 +20) | Jack Blackham | Australia | England | Sydney | February 2, 1892 | Won | 59 (35 + 24) |
| 60 (51 + 9) | Dick Lilley | England | Achieved against | Sydney | March 1, 1904 | Won | 92 (70 +22) |
| 93 (58 +35) | Bert Oldfield | Australia | England | Sydney | February 27, 1933 | Lost | 130 (78 + 52) |
| 131 (94 + 37) | Godfrey Evans | England | Pakistan | The Oval | August 12, 1954 | Lost | 219 (173 + 46) |
| 220 (203 + 17) | Alan Knott | England | West Indies | The Oval | August 12, 1976 | Lost | 263 (244 + 19) |
| 264 (253 + 11) | Rodney Marsh | Australia | England | Leeds | July 18, 1981 | Lost | 355 (343 + 12) |
| 356 (331 + 25) | Ian Healy | Australia | Pakistan | Rawalpindi | October 4, 1998 | Won | 395 (366 + 29) |
| 396 (378 + 18) | Mark Boucher+ | South Africa | Pakistan | Karachi | October 3, 2007 | Won | 413 (394 + 19) |
| 414 (377 + 37) | Adam Gilchrist | Australia | India | Adelaide | January 24, 2008 | Drawn | 416 (379 + 37) |
| 417 (398 + 19) | Mark Boucher+ | South Africa | Bangladesh | Mirpur | February 22, 2008 | Won | 555 (532 + 23) |
+ Also appeared in one Test for ICC World XI in 2005 (took two catches).
First wicketkeepers to reach landmark Test dismissals
| Dismissals (catches + stumpings) | Wicketkeeper | Country | Opposition | Venue | Date | Result |
| 50 (30 +20) | Jack Blackham | Australia | England | Sydney | February 2, 1892 | Won |
| 100 (62 +38) | Bert Oldfield | Australia | England | Lord’s | June 23, 1934 | Lost |
| 200 (157 + 43) | Godfrey Evans | England | West Indies | Leeds | July 27, 1957 | Won |
| 300 (289 + 11) | Rodney Marsh | Australia | New Zealand | Christchurch | March 20, 1982 | Won |
| 400 (383 +18) | Mark Boucher+ | South Africa | Pakistan | Lahore | October 10, 2007 | Drawn |
| 500 (478 + 22) | Mark Boucher+ | South Africa | West Indies | Basseterre | June 12, 2010 | Drawn |
+ Also appeared in one Test for ICC World XI in 2005 (took two catches).
Quickest to reach landmark Test dismissals (i.e. fewest matches)
| Dismissals | Tests | Wicketkeeper |
| 50 | 10 | Mark Boucher (South Africa, 1998), Jonny Bairstow (England, 2016), Tim Paine (Australia, 2018) |
| 100 | 22 | Adam Gilchrist (Australia, 2001), Quinton de Kock (South Africa, 2017) |
| 200 | 44 | Quinton de Kock (South Africa, 2020) |
| 300 | 72 | Adam Gilchrist (Australia, 2005) |
| 400 | 94 | Adam Gilchrist (Australia, 2008) |
| 500 | 133 | Mark Boucher (South Africa, 2010) |
To be continued...