5 Overseas Wicketkeepers With The Best Average In Australia

Updated - 27 Nov 2023, 04:25 PM

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant (Image Credits: Twitter)

The wicketkeepers do play a big role in test cricket as they prove to be a crucial batsman down the order in overseas conditions especially in places like Australia. They tend to hold on with the tailenders and aggressive wicket keepers can be very handy to score some quick runs before the innings get over.

The olden era saw just the wicket keepers being assigned the main role for batting alone but the modern era has changed with the wicket keepers being used for dual roles. The likes of Adam Gilchrist changed the way the wicket-keepers have been used in test cricket and here are 5 overseas wicketkeepers with the best average in Australia.

5 Overseas Wicketkeepers With The Best Average In Australia:

Adam Parore:

New Zealand wicket keeper
Adam Parore[photo: Twitter]
Adam Parore is one of the famous New Zealand wicket-keepers of the 90s era and he had a decent record in test cricket. Having made his test debut in 1990, Parore played 78 tests scoring 2865 runs at an average of 26.28. He batted down the order mostly, and even after the all-rounders at times.

Parore holds the fifth position in the list of overseas wicketkeepers with the best average in Australia. He has played 11 innings in Australia scoring 379 runs at an average of 54.14. Parore made two centuries and 14 half-centuries in his Test career with a top score of 110 and he also had 204 test dismissals in his test career.

AB de Villiers:

South Africa test team
AB de Villiers[photo: Twitter]
AB de Villiers was one of the best batsmen in the decade and the 360-degree player did play as a wicket-keeper batsman for South Africa in tests for a period of time. He played 114 tests scoring 8765 runs at an average of 50.7 and scored 22 centuries in his Test career.

De Villiers enjoyed the bouncy tracks in Australia and he managed to score 276 runs in the 6 innings he played there. He averages 55.20 in Australia which is the second-best for an overseas wicketkeeper in the country. De Villiers had a phenomenal career in all formats for his nation and he retired from international cricket two years back.

Quinton de Kock:

South Africa test team
Quinton De Kock[photo: Twitter]
Quinton de Kock is the current wicket-keeper of the South African test team and he is one of the consistent run-scorer for his nation in all formats. The left-hander has played 52 tests so far scoring 3149 runs at an average of 38.9 with six centuries and 21 half-centuries.

De Kock is an important batsman for South Africa especially in overseas tours and he averages nearly 56.20 in the Australian conditions as a batsman with 281 runs in 5 innings. The 28-year-old has an aggressive batting style and he can up the scoring rate coming in at seven.

Rishabh Pant:

Rishabh Pant, ICC World Test Championship
Rishabh Pant (Image Credits: Twitter)

Rishabh Pant has become India’s number one test keeper and he has been in fine form in the last 6 months. His excellence started in the 2018 tour of Australia where he scored a century and he backed up with two crucial knocks in the 2020 tour to Australia which allowed India to get into the finals of the ICC World Test Championship.

Pant is a dangerous batsman down the order as he is very aggressive and he can change the game around in a relatively quick time. Pant has played ten innings in Australia scoring 512 runs at an average of 56.88. He has worked on his wicket-keeping skills on a large note.

Gerry Alexander:

Australia, Gerry Alexander
Gerry Alexander. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

Gerry Alexander was a West Indian wicket-keeper batsman who was very aggressive in his style of batting in the 1950s. He played 25 tests for his country scoring 961 runs at an average of 30.03 with one century and seven half-centuries. His top score was 108 in test cricket and he also led the West Indies team for few tests.

Gerry Alexander had a great record as a wicketkeeper-batsman in Australia where he scored 484 runs in 10 innings. His average of 60.50 is the highest for any wicket-keeper batsman who has played in Australia and he had a strike rate of 159 in test cricket which was fascinating.

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Quinton de Kock Rishabh Pant