Adam Gilchrist is a former Australian cricketer born on November 14, 1971 in Bellingen, New South Wales. During his student days at Deniliquin South Public School, he represented the school and won the Brian Taber Shield. Later he captained the Kadina High School, when his family moved to Lismore. Adam Gilchrist, who is nicknamed “Gilly” and “Church”, is married to Melinda, a dietitian, and they have two sons, Harrison and Archie, and a daughter, Annie Jean.
This explosive left-handed batsman is also a brilliant wicket-keeper and holds numerous records to his credit in the wicket-keeping department.
Adam Gilchrist made his Test match debut against Pakistan on November 5, 1999 at Gabba, Brisbane. In his very first Test innings, he made an all-round performance, contributing to six dismissals and smashing 81 runs and helped Australia win with ease. In his second Test match, Adam Gilchrist hit an unbeaten 149, which was instrumental in Australia’s victory. He put on a record-breaking partnership with Justin Langer, when Australia was struggling at 126 for 5 while chasing a target of 369 to win.
In 2000, in the Third Test against New Zealand, he took ten catches in the match to achieve the third best performance by a wicketkeeper in Test cricket. Towards the end of 2000, he was handed the vice-captaincy of the Australian Test team. Adam Gilchrist led the Australian team for the first time in the third Test against the West Indies in Adelaide, in the absence of the injury-hit Steve Waugh. Australia’s five-wicket victory in this Test is regarded as the proudest moment of his career.
Adam Gilchrist began his One Day International (ODI) career on October 25, 1996, against South Africa at Faridabad, India. He took his first catch at this level, his first ODI victim being former South African captain Hansie Cronje. In the 1997 Australian tour of South Africa, he made his first ODI half-century, scoring 77 runs in Durban. In the first final against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Adam Gilchrist was promoted to the opening slot as Mark Waugh’s partner. In the second final, he unleashed his aggressive batting style on his way to his first ODI century, thereby securing his position as an opening batsman. Adam Gilchrist was also successful in the Carlton and United ODI series played in January and February 1999 against Sri Lanka and England, and he finished with a batting average of 43.75 with two centuries and a half-century. His wicket-keeping record was equally impressive in these series with 27 dismissals in 12 matches. During the 1999 tour of the West Indies Adam Gilchrist excelled as a wicketkeeper-batsman, finishing with a batting average of nearly 30 at a strike rate of 90.00 as well as 7 dismissals.
In the 1999 World Cup finals against Pakistan, Adam Gilchrist hit a half-century and helped his team lift the World Cup. In the 2003 edition of the World Cup, Adam Gilchrist scored four half-centuries, including one in the final, finishing with an average of 40.80 and a strike rate of 105. He was also the most successful wicketkeeper of the tournament with 21 dismissals against his name. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Adam Gilchrist, in what was his third World Cup finals in a row, blasted a ruthless innings of 149 runs off 104 balls with thirteen fours and eight sixes against Sri Lanka. This innings, the highest ever individual score in a World Cup final, helped Australia lift the World Cup besides earning him the Man of the Match award.
In a highly publicized player auction amounting to US$ 700,000, Adam Gilchrist was signed by Hyderabad Deccan Chargers on February 20, 2008, to play at the Indian Premier League (IPL). Adam Gilchrist justified his price tag hammering the fastest hundred in IPL off just 42 balls against Mumbai Indians. In the 14 IPL matches that he played, he scored 436 runs at an average of 33.53 and a strike rate of 136.67.
As of February 4, 2008, Adam Gilchrist holds the distinction of securing the most number of ODI victims by a wicket-keeper. He has won 11 ODIs out of the 15 matches he captained Australia. He holds the record for the most centuries in both the Test and ODI versions.
Apart from cricket, Adam Gilchrist is an ambassador for the charity World Vision in India.
