New Delhi: Legendary Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist recently revealed how a dropped catch of former India batter VVS Laxman convinced him to retire from Test cricket. Gilchrist, who is regarded as one of the greatest wicket-keepers of all time, announced his abrupt retirement from Test cricket in 2008 after making his final appearance in the Adelaide Test between India and Australia.
Gilchrist was just four matches away from completing the milestone of 100 Tests in his career and would have become only the second wicket-keeper at the time to have achieved the feat. However, he revealed Laxman’s dropped catch came as the final nail in the coffin as far as his Test career for Australia was concerned.
The incident happened during the Adelaide Test when Gilchrist dropped a sitter off the bowling of former Australia pacer Brett Lee. The former wicket-keeper batter revealed he was surprised after the dropped catch and couldn’t take his eyes off the replays. Gilchrist had been planning to complete 100 Tests for Australia, however, that dropped catch became a defining moment in his Test career.
“Funny thing happened when India were in Australia the last time I played against them. I was trying to attempt to take a catch off the bowling of Brett Lee. And the night before I had been on the phone to my wife all night working out the travel plans because we were touring the West Indies after the India series. On that tour, I was probably going to get myself up to 99 Tests and then after that, we were going to tour India and that’s where I would have played my 100th and joined an elite group of Australian Test cricketers and a few others around the world,” Gilchrist recalled on the latest episode of Club Prairie Fire Podcast.
“Then the next day, I attempted to take a catch off the outside edge of VVS Laxman, dropped it, an absolute soda, as simple as it gets. The ball hit the ground and I looked at the replay on the big screen, looked at it again and again and again and it went probably 32 times,” he added.
Gilly tells an amazing story of India 🇮🇳 touring Australia 🇦🇺 and how VVS Laxman played a huge part in him retiring.
Huge thanks to Cricket Australia Travel Office (CATO) 👏🏻 for coming on board with the show 📺 over the summer ☀️ and there will be weekly tour stories 📖 from the… pic.twitter.com/hTUHlIRU9H
— Club Prairie Fire (@clubprairiefire) September 23, 2024
Told Matthew Hayden that ‘I’m done’: Gilchrist
Gilchrist went on to reveal the dropped catch was an eye-opener for him and it signalled that it was probably time for him to quit Test cricket. The former Australia batter recalled how he told his teammate Matthew Hayden, who was fielding next to him, that he was done and will quit Test cricket after the series.
“I turned to Matthew Hayden and said I’m done, I’m out. From the ball hitting the glove to the ball hitting the grass, in an instant, I realized it was time to retire. Don’t worry about the tour of the West Indies, don’t worry about the 100th Test in India, that was the decision made for me to give up Test cricket,” Gilchrist added.
The Adelaide Test against India was Gilchrist’s 96th appearance for Australia in the longest format. He was set to travel with the Australian team for a three-match Test series in the West Indies after the India series and later for an away series to India. The legendary wicket-keeper had thought of completing the milestone of 100 Test matches in the India tour.
However, that was not meant to be as Gilchrist announced his abrupt retirement after the Adelaide Test. A consistent batter across formats and one of the best behind the stumps, Gilchrist amassed 5570 runs for Australia in 96 Tests at an average of over 47, including 17 centuries and 26 fifties.
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