Adam Gilchrist announced his arrival in grand style in international cricket when he smashed 149 to help Australia chase down 369 in the second Test against Pakistan in Hobart in 1999.
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The cut, pull, drive and sweep. These were the only four shots that he had in his arsenal. But, in a legendary career of nine years, these four shots would be the bedrock of a revolution. This Australian left-hander would be a revelation in the world of wicketkeeper-batsman. He became the inspiration for the likes of MS Dhoni and the rest of the keepers in the world to emulate. As a benchmark of greatness, Adam Gilchrist is without a doubt the best there was in the world of cricket.
In his career, Gilchrist played 96 Tests and 287 ODIs. He was the leading keeper in the world with the most dismissals and averaged close to 50 in Tests. Gilchrist was part of three ODI winning World Cups for Australia from 1999 to 2007. His contribution in the finals, in particular, was staggering. He hit two fifties and a century, with the ton achieved by fitting a squash ball in his glove. That was the uniqueness with which he corrected technical frailties. There is also a small matter of becoming the first player in the history of Tests to smash 100 sixes as well as the fastest double hundred for a brief period.
But, if one has to pinpoint the exact date and occasion where Gilchrist truly arrived on the world stage, it has to be November 22, 1999. It was on a windy, cloudy day in Hobart that Gilchrist truly showed the world that he was the greatest wicketkeeper-batsman to set foot on the cricket field.
Australian cricket had entered a new era as the millennium approached. Ian Healy, Australia’s keeper for the best part of over a decade, announced his retirement in 1999. Gilchrist was chosen as the new keeper but his debut would be in front of hostile crowds in Brisbane, the homeground of Healy. At that time, the Australian public demanded excellence, and anybody falling short would not get acceptance.
The first Test against Pakistan saw Gilchrist unleash himself on the Pakistan bowlers. He showed his aggression and blazing strokeplay to hammer 81 of the finest. The exhibition of his batting saw the Australian public take an instant liking to him. Australia won the match by 10 wickets and headed into Hobart high on confidence.
Pakistan chose to bat and made 222 thanks to Mohammad Wasim’s 91. Australia took a 24-run lead, with Michael Slater falling for 97. Justin Langer, Australia’s future head coach, hit a fifty while Gilchrist was stumped for 6 off the bowling of Saqlain Mushtaq. Pakistan put in a magnificent performance in the second innings, with Inzamam-ul-Haq hitting a brilliant 118. Ijaz Ahmed and Saeed Anwar hit valuable fifties as Pakistan were bowled out for 392. Despite Shane Warne’s 5/110, Australia was set a daunting 369 for victory. This was against Pakistan’s potent bowling line-up of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Shoaib Akhtar along with Azhar Mahmood.
Australia had a disastrous start when their top order was blown away by Saqlain and Azhar Mahmood. They were reduced to 126/5, with hometown hero Ricky Ponting falling for a five-ball duck. Pakistan had its tail up. Gilchrist, just one Test old, was now facing the toughest battle of his career.
He started off confidently, sweeping Saqlain for a six and then employing that shot to counter him. There was a moment in the match that suggested that Pakistan had lost the plot. Twice, Shoaib Akhtar ran in but at the last moment, Gilchrist pulled out. Apparently, the fielder at mid-off was moving around too much which caused some distraction. Gilchrist seized upon the initiative and launched a counter-attack on the Pakistan bowlers.
Gilchrist notched up his fifty with a drive off Wasim Akram. Seeing the ball carefully, he managed to work it into the gaps. Justin Langer, on the other hand, had dropped anchor. Both batsmen were starting to build a solid partnership that looked ominous for Pakistan. Langer notched up his century and Gilchrist soon joined him.
When he drove Waqar Younis for a boundary to long-off, he notched up his maiden century. The applause around the Bellerive Oval at that time was simply magnificent as Australia was on the cusp of something special.
His strike rate of 91.8, at a time when Australia was staring down the barrel against a potent bowling attack, showed his class. Gilchrist tackled reverse swing in grand style as well. He watched the ball late and played everything off the front foot. When Akhtar came back for one late burst at 150 kmph, Gilchrist unleashed the pull shot to great effect.
The match slipped away from Pakistan as the 238-run stand got Australia closer to a win. Langer fell for 127 but Gilchrist got Australia over the line with two fours off Saqlain. It was the highest run-chase in Australia at that time. Ricky Ponting, after he retired, called it the best knock that he had seen on Australian soil.
This would not be the first time that a 149 would be special for Gilchrist. Eight years later, against Sri Lanka, he would hit the same score to brutalize Sri Lanka in Barbados during the 2007 World Cup. At the same venue nine years later, Gilchrist would get another special milestone as he became the first individual to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket.
Gilchrist will forever be acknowledged as the greatest keeper-batsman in the world. But, his knock against Pakistan in 1999 was truly him arriving on the world stage.
