Background

Gilchrist was born in a coastal area of New South Wales and has been passionate about the game since childhood. In his 20s, Gilchrist was selected for the Australian Young Cricketers, which is a national youth team.

On his debut tour to England, Gilchrist scored a century and a fifty, proving that he had extraordinary talent. After his return, Gilchrist was given a place in the Australian Cricket Academy.

Gilchrist played his first senior domestic season for New South Wales in 1992-93. A 20-run unbeaten inning in the second innings helped Wales win the final against Queensland easily.

In 1994, Gilchrist joined Western Australia. During the 1994-95 seasons, he dismissed 55 first-class opponents, the most by a wicket-keeper in Australian domestic cricket. Aside from his brilliant glove work, he also developed into a destructive and reliable batsman.

First Appearance

Gilchrist made his ODI debut in 1996 against South Africa in the Titan Cup. It ended in a two-wicket loss for the Aussies after he scored 18 runs off 36 balls and contributed to 3 dismissals.

In 1999, Gilchrist made his Test debut against Pakistan after making a rather late debut. He scored 81 to create an immediate impact. The game also ended with him being part of 7 dismissals.

Ascend to Glory

Gilchrist, in just his second Test, scored 149 against Pakistan at Hobart and shared a 238-run partnership with Justin Langer for the 6th wicket.

Gilchrist's special Test knocks included a devastating double century against South Africa in 2001, when 204 came from just 213 balls, becoming the quickest double century in Test cricket history.

He not only blunted attacks but also dominated them to submission. The 122 he scored against India in 2001 propelled Australia to a 173-run lead after they had registered a shambolic 99/5.

His 57-delivery Ashes century at Perth in 2001 was a treat for the eyes. His 172 ODI scores are the third-best by an Australian, and his 472 dismissals may take decades to surpass.

It was Gilly who laid the groundwork for Australia's triumph in the 2003 World Cup. Additionally, he was the most successful wicketkeeper in the competition, making 21 dismissals.

During the 2007 World Cup, Gilchrist was the highest individual scorer ever with 149 runs scored off 104 balls with 13 fours and 8 sixes, beating Ricky Ponting's 140 runs in the previous World Cup.

Low Point

After scoring his first Test century at his home ground in Perth, an unbeaten 113 against Zimbabwe, Gilchrist's Test form dipped again during the 2003–04 season. However, he returned to form in the Second Test at Kandy, scoring a quickfire 144 in the second innings to set up a 27-run win after Australia conceded a 91-run first-innings lead.

In the 2007 World Cup semi-final against South Africa, Gilchrist was dismissed for one run, yet Australia won by seven wickets. In the final against Sri Lanka, Gilchrist opened the batting. It was Gilchrist's third successive World Cup final, and he scored at least 50 runs for the third time in a World Cup final. His previous best World Cup score was 99 against Sri Lanka in 2003.

Captaincy

With Gilchrist's guidance, the Australian team was able to reach new heights. Gilchrist accomplished what the all-conquering team led by Steve Waugh failed to achieve in 2001. Australia beat India to take control of the final frontier for the first time in 35 years.

As a captain, he led the team in 17 ODIs, 6 Tests, and 2 T20Is. His Test winning percentage is 66.67, and his T20I winning percentage is 50. Aside from 1 match that ended in a draw; his best stats are in ODIs, where he led the Aussies to victory in 12 out of 17 games.

Gilchrist’s Record

Most centuries by an Australian against Sri Lanka as wicket-keeper

• As far as centuries against the side are concerned, he holds that record (7).
• Six of the centuries have come in ODIs, but only one has come in Tests.
• He has smashed just 16 tons in ODIs.

Only Australian with 100 sixes in Tests

• His record of hitting 100 sixes in the longest format of the game is the only one held by an Australian.

Fastest Test century as an Australian

• He was also known for his fast innings, and because he played mostly lower down the order in Test cricket, he was able to go big whenever he wanted.

Most dismissals in an ICC World Cup as wicket-keeper

• As for the same, he also holds a unique record of scripting the most dismissals as a wicket-keeper in an ICC World Cup.
• It was during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, that he scalped 21 dismissals, a record matched by New Zealand’s Tom Latham in 2019.

Highest score in a World Cup final

• He has smashed a record three half-centuries in the final of all three tournament finals he played, and his 149 is the highest ever in a World Cup final.
• He held the record in the 2007 final between Australia and Lanka in Barbados, which Australia won by 53 runs.

Retirement

It was in the fourth and final Test of the series against India in 2008 that he played the last Test of his career. He scored 14 runs in the match, resulting in a draw. It is estimated that he played 96 Tests in his career, scoring 5,570 runs and taking 379 catches.

2 months later, he played his last one-day international against India. Through 287 ODIs, he made 9,619 runs and made 417 dismissals from behind the wickets.