Australian Vice captain Adam Gilchrist took a surprise retirement from
international cricket on the penultimate day of the fourth India Australia
cricket test match. The Tasmanian has revolutionized the whole concept of a
wicketkeepers role in both one day and test matches and his void will indeed
be a very hard one for the World Champions to feel.
Adam Gilcrhist was an integral part of the Australian side that marauded
through international cricket winning three world cup in a rows and twice going
on a sixteen match unbeaten test streak. Perhaps, it is not a co-incidence that
Australia's supremacy is greatly linked with the introduction of a young Adam
Gilcrhist in the Australian test and one day set up in 1999. Gilchrist soon
secured his place in the national side with some great swashbuckling hits at
the top of the order. However, it was his test performances that left everyone
gasping for breath. In just over eight years of test cricket, "Gilly"
as he is known by his peers has scored more than 6000 runs at an average of
over fifty with an incredible strike rate of eighty. He once possessed the world
record for the fastest double century in World test cricket as he blasted a
South Africa attack then consisting of the likes of Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock to set up a huge victory for the Australians in Johannesburg back
in 2001.
Though his keeping form has come down in recent years, his batting still packs
a tremendous punch. Coming down at number seven Gilcrhist has been instrumental
in setting up so many Australian victories over the past decade and it comes
as no surprise that the only two serieses Australia have lost in this century,
against India in 2001 and against England in 2005 has co-incided with
a poor patch of form for Adam Gilchrist. Apart from his wonderful gifted cricketing
abilities, Gilchrist was also blessed with an exceptionally agile mind and has
been a constant wall of support to Captain Ricky Pointing throughout
his tenure as his deputy. Adam Gilcrhist also has a reputation of being one
of cricket's finest gentleman and his decision to walk away even when he was
adjourned not out in the 2003 World Cup semifinals remains a big jewel in a
very fat crown that Gilcrhist deserves to wear for his contribution to cricket.
The retirement of one of the best Wicket keeping all rounders in the world
certainly has left the cricketing world poorer and cricket fans throughout the
world following the glorious game through live online streaming services and
scorecards will be hoping that the flamboyant Australian contributes to the
game in some way or the other in the times to come.
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