'Rodney Marsh, MS Dhoni And...': Adam Gilchrist Picks Top-three Wicketkeeper-batters of All Time

Adam Gilchrist, one of the all-time greats, was not just a world-class wicketkeeper but also a brilliant batter whose aggressiveness arguably redefined the role of a wicketkeeper-batter in Test cricket. He had a trophy-laden international career, during which he won two ODI World Cups.

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He played 96 Tests, 287 ODIs and 13 T20Is between 1996 and 2008. With the bat, he scored 15461 runs across format and 905 dismissals (813 catches, 92 stumpings) – the second most in international history.

But who are Gilchrist’s top-three wicketkeeper-batters of all time?

The 52-year-old picked Australia legend and idol Rodney Marsh as his top choice with former India captain MS Dhoni as second while Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara completing the top-three.

“Rodney Marsh, he was my idol. That’s who I wanted to be. MS Dhoni… I like his coolness. He did it his way, always calm. And Kumar Sangakkara. He was so classy in everything he did, batting high up the order and with his keeping skills,” Gilchrist told The Times of India.

Gilchrist also touched upon the famous Kolkata Test of 2001 that saw India bouncing back after being asked to follow-on and beat Australia. He considers it as his toughest day on the field.

“Kolkata, 2001, when VVS (Laxman) and (Rahul) Dravid batted all day. They just shut us out of the game. When I reflect on it, you almost knew you were part of something special,” he said.

Australia ended their long wait for a Test series win on Indian soil in 2004-05 under the captaincy of Gilchrist who took over the charge with regular skipper Ricky Ponting absent from the first three Tests of the four-match series due to an injury.

Australia won the series 2-1.

Gilchrist said winning in India was a “fulfilling experience”.

“Captaincy brings different pressures and expectations. Also, an element of excitement that you can have such an impact on the game. There are tough days, there are challenging days and then there are pleasing days. To win in India in 2004-05, that was a fulfilling experience, makes captaincy nice and fun,” he said.