Test cricket has seen some exceptional wicketkeepers. Adam Gilchrist, Syed Kirmani and MS Dhoni are just some recent iconic ‘keepers who have made memorable contributions to the game.
If one were to rank the performance of the men who have donned the gloves, it is not just about the catches behind the wicket, but also the stumpings they’ve affected that come into play.
Interestingly, the record for the ‘keeper with the most stumpings is almost a century old, with Australia’s Albert Oldfield having inflicted 52 stumpings in just 54 Tests. He played his last Test match in 1937, and this record is yet to be touched.
Closest to him at 46 stumpings is England’s Thomas Godfrey Evans. He played 91 Test matches and his last international appearance was against India in 1959.
This brings us to two of India’s iconic wicketkeepers of very different eras - Syed Kirmani and MS Dhoni. Both these players have 38 stumpings each.
However, Kirmani edged out Dhoni on the account of the number of matches taken to achieve this. The former took 88 Tests while the latter took 90 Tests to climb to the third spot on this list.
Sitting at the fifth position is another Australian great, Adam Gilchrist, with 37 stumpings to his name. He, however, has one of the best dismissals per innings rate at 2.178, much higher compared to those sitting above him in this list, with all of them ranging between 1.2 and 1.7.
Of the currently active players, there are barely any who threaten to uproot these legendary wicket-keepers. Niroshan Dickwella of Sri Lanka is the closest to a top 10 spot with 23 stumpings in 45 Tests, and sits in the 12th position currently.
Most stumpings in Tests
|
Player |
Country |
No. of stumpings |
Tests played |
|
Albert Oldfield |
Australia |
52 |
54 |
|
Thomas Godfrey Evans |
England |
46 |
91 |
|
Syed Kirmani |
India |
38 |
88 |
|
MS Dhoni |
India |
38 |
90 |
|
Adam Gilchrist |
Australia |
37 |
96 |
|
Prasanna Jayawardene |
Sri Lanka |
32 |
58 |
|
Ian Healy |
Australia |
29 |
119 |
|
Wasim Bari |
Pakistan |
27 |
81 |
|
Romesh Kaluwitharana |
Sri Lanka |
26 |
49 |
|
John McCarthy Blackham |
Australia |
24 |
35 |
Play fantasy cricket with SportsAdda. Create your team, track your progress and win prizes. Start here.
Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates from the world of sports!
Interested in cricket betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.
Featured photo: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP
