A player credited for redefining the role of a wicket-keeper batsman in cricket, Adam Gilchrist celebrates his 48th birthday on November 14, 2019 (Thursday). Gilchrist, widely regarded as one of the greatest wicket-keepers of all-time, held almost every wicket-keeping record in his playing career until few of those were surpassed by his contemporaries. The left-handed power-packed batsman changed the role of a wicket-keeper in the Australian national cricket team and redefined the role with his aggressive batting at the top of the order in limited-overs cricket and with his smashing shots at the lower middle-order.

Gilchrist, born in the Bellingen – a small town along the mid-north coast – in New South Wales, is also one of the only three cricketers to win three World Cup titles. He also holds the unique record of scoring 50 or more runs in three successive World Cup finals – the only wicket-keeper to do so. In an illustrious 12-year career, Gilchrist played 96 Tests, 287 ODIs and 13 T20Is scoring 5570, 9619 and 272 runs respectively. Take a look at some lesser-known things about the Australian great.

  1. Adam Gilchrist Was Born On November 14, 1971, In A Small Town Of Bellingen In New South Wales, Australia.

  2. Gilchrist Has Two Nicknames. He Was Called ‘Gilly’ In The Australian Dressing Room And Was Called ‘Churchy’ By His Close Friends.

  3. His Favourite Destination Is Surprisingly Noosa, Which Is A Small Beach Town In Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

  4. Before Australia’s Tour Of India In 2004, Gilchrist Promised To Dedicate A Century To His Cancer-Stricken Friend. He Scored 104 In The 1st Test And Kept His Word.

  5. Interestingly, Gilchrist Took Up Wicket-Keeping Because Of His Fascination Of The Wicket-Keeping Gloves, Its Shape And Size.

  6. Adam Gilchrist Once Admitted His Worst Habit Is Biting Nails.

  7. The Left-Handed Batsman Is The Only Wicket-Keeper To Score At Least Fifty Or More Runs In Three Consecutive World Cup Finals.

Gilchrist held the record for most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in One-Day Internationals, until it was surpassed by Sangakkara in 2015. Gilchrist was also the first player to smash 100 sixes in Test cricket.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 14, 2019 10:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).