
Wicketkeeping in tests is arguably the toughest in comparison to the other two formats. Conditions vary in every country and adjusting to these different conditions can be tough on wicketkeepers. For example, the pitches in Australia and South Africa tend to be on the bouncier side while the weather conditions of England make the ball seam and swing late. These conditions are highly contrasting to the ones in the sub-continent. In the sub-continent, particularly in India and Sri Lanka, wicketkeepers need to adjust the low bounce from pacers as well as the additional turn the spinners get from the pitches. Here is a look at the top five wicketkeepers with the most dismissals in their test career.
Wicketkeepers with the most dismissals in test career
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Player | Career Span | Matches | Innings | Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings |
Mark Boucher (South Africa) | 1997-2012 | 147 | 281 | 555 | 532 | 23 |
Adam Gilchrist (Australia) | 1999-2008 | 96 | 191 | 416 | 379 | 37 |
Ian Healy (Australia) | 1988-1999 | 119 | 224 | 395 | 366 | 29 |
Rod Marsh (Australia) | 1970-1984 | 96 | 182 | 355 | 343 | 12 |
MS Dhoni (India) | 2005-2014 | 90 | 166 | 294 | 256 | 38 |
Mark Boucher, 555 dismissals
A career which ended in a tragic manner after being hit in the eye by a bail during a warm-up game had lots to cheer on for. Mark Boucher was an incredible keeper on the bouncy pitches of South Africa. His career began in an unforgettable manner when his wicketkeeping skills were exposed in the 1998 tour of England. But the Proteas wicketkeeper bounced back and went on to break and create many wicketkeeping records. He once played 75 consecutive tests for the South African team but was then dropped from the team that toured India in 2004. India won the series and Boucher made a return to the side. He went on to become the first wicketkeeper to 400 dismissals, 500 dismissals, 400 catches and 500 catches in his test career. He had a close to 2 dismissals per inning ratio in his 15-year-long career.
Adam Gilchrist, 416 dismissals
Known for his prolific aggressive batting, Adam Gilchrist was one of the finest if not the finest wicketkeepers from Australia. It is a tough ask for anybody to follow someone like Ian Healy and Rodney Marsh who had made a name for themselves for their work behind the stumps. He was handed his test debut in 1999 when Healy finally retired and vacated the keeping spot for the 28-year-old. There could be arguments made that if he was handed his debut a little earlier he could have gone on to record more dismissals and perhaps even touch that 500 mark. But that didn’t stop Gilchrist from overcoming his compatriots Healy and Marsh to record the most dismissals as an Australian wicketkeeper in Tests. Gilchrist made 416 dismissals in his nine-year career as a test keeper with a ratio of close to 2.2 dismissals per inning.
Ian Healy, 395 dismissals
The Healy surname carries a lot of legacy in Australian cricket and it all started with Ian Healy. Close to 400 dismissals, Healy for some time was the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals in tests and now ranks third on the list of wicketkeepers with the most dismissals in their test career. His prowess behind the stumps was put into perspective when he was named in Australia’s team of the 20th century overtaking the likes of Don Tallon, Wally Grout and Rod Marsh. He recorded 395 dismissals to his name in his 11-year career averaging close to 1.8 dismissals per inning.
Rod Mash, 355 dismissals
Nicknamed Iron Gloves, Rodney Marsh was one of the most acrobatic wicketkeepers. His acrobatic catches helped him and the Australian team to become a dominant force in test cricket. He forged one of the greatest bowler-wicketkeeper partnerships with Dennis Lillee. The dismissal “caught Marsh bowled Lillee” was recorded 95 times in test cricket. The wicketkeeper recorded 355 dismissals in his career with a ratio of close to 2 dismissals per inning.
MS Dhoni, 294 dismissals
MS Dhoni has been one of the best wicketkeepers the sport has ever seen. He ranks fifth on the list for most dismissals in test cricket probably his weakest format. He ranks third in ODIs and second in T20Is for most dismissals as a keeper. Mostly playing in Indian conditions where recording dismissals as a wicketkeeper is tough, Dhoni has done incredibly to record close to 300 dismissals. He has the most dismissals for an Asian keeper the next-best is Wasim Bari from Pakistan with 228 dismissals. Dhoni recorded 294 dismissals averaging close to 1.8 dismissals per inning.