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Untitled Document
 Adam Gilchrist revolutionized the way cricket is played
28th Jan 2008 23:02 IST
Manish Kumar
Rarely does a player emerge who with his swashbuckling and authoritative approach revolutionized the way cricket is played. Adam Gilchrist will be remembered for being one such force of nature.
And his sudden announcement to retire from the game has stunned the world in the same way that his attacking approach to batting flummoxed opposing teams.
Such is his importance to the Australian cricket team that former coach John Buchanan has stated that Gilchrist's retirement had more impact that the retirements of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer, and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has even asked Gilchrist to reconsider.
It is hard to imagine that this very player made his Test debut at the Gabba in Brisbane in November 1999 amidst boos from the crowd as the selectors dumped Ian Healy unceremoniously, despite Healy's entreaties to the selectors to allow him a farewell game in front of his home crowd.
Gilchrist's icy reception at the Gabba did not faze him as he took five catches, effected one stumping and scored a rapid 81, in a match, which Australia won comfortably.
In his second Test, Gilchrist made an unbeaten 149 to help guide Australia to victory in a game, which looked well beyond their reach. Australia were struggling on 126/5 with a target of 369 to win as he joined his Western Australian team-mate, Langer, and the pair put on a record-breaking partnership to enable Australia to win the Test.
Gilchrist is considered to be one of the best wicket-keeper-batsmen in the history of the game. His strike rate is amongst the highest in the history of both One-day and Test cricket and he currently holds the record for the second fastest century in Test match cricket – a feat he achieved when he blasted a quite extraordinary 57-ball hundred against England in Perth, just a single delivery outside the world record held since 1986 by Sir Vivian Richards.
No batsman in the history of Test cricket has scored his runs faster – 82 per hundred balls – and none has launched as many as 101 sixes – becoming the first one to do so.
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