Is Quinton de Kock the next wicket-keeper batsman who can come close to Adam Gilchrist?

de Kock in action against Australia

There is a no better sight in world cricket than to see a left-handed batsman demolishing the bowler in a remarkable and fashionable style. It makes for a great watch with the mesmerising drives and flicks delighting the fans.

There have been many left-handed batsmen who have had sound technique and impeccable timing to thrash the bowlers and single-handedly change the game. One such wicketkeeper-batsman who has been in sublime form in recent times is Quinton de Kock.

de Kock has been the star performer for South Africa across all formats for a while now which has prompted comparisons with Australian legend Adam Gilchrist. He averages over 50 after playing 13 matches in Test cricket and has also been performing brilliantly in ODI and T-20 cricket.

He starred in the recently concluded series against Australia and is in sensational touch with the bat. Even Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan didn’t hesitate in applauding the young prodigy and felt that he is the closest wicket-keeper batsman to Gilchrist. It wouldn’t be fair to compare the two as de Kock is still in the early days of his career while Gilchrist is no more playing and has already retired.

However, similarities among the two in their approaches to the game and their batting style do allow us to reflect on the areas where the South African can actually be pitched against Gilchrist and compared.

Gilchrist is revered as one of the modern greats

Both of them started their international Test career by batting lower down the order; the South African prodigy has had a brilliant outing while batting at number 7 and has scored 853 runs in 13 matches at an average of 50.17. Gilchrist also had similar numbers after playing 12 Tests where he managed to score 746 runs at an average of 53.28. 

Gilchrist has been one of the most celebrated wicketkeeper batsmen for Australia, playing aggressive cricket and able to dictate bowlers in tough conditions. He single-handedly changed the course of the match with his blistering innings of 149 against Sri Lanka in the World Cup 2007 final which is etched in the memory of every cricket fan.

de Kock, on the other hand, also played a similar match changing innings of 178 from 113 balls at a strike rate of 157.72 against Australia in the first ODI in September 2016 helping his team to register a win. This innings was similar to how ‘Gilly’ used to bat, playing both grounded and lofted shots in an emphatic fashion.

This ability to dominate bowlers from the word go, without showing any mercy makes the South African somewhat identical to the legendary Australian. de Kock’s style of flicking and cutting the ball is also reminiscent of Gilchrist – a shot which he used to play effectively. The style in which de Kock uses his front foot and back foot to drive the ball has also received a lot of praise which reflects how well balanced he is at the crease.

When it comes to wicket-keeping, both have been extremely quick and active behind the stumps. If Gilchrist could dive on both sides of the wickets to gather the ball, de Kock has taken some incredible flying catches.

Both these cricketers are known for their superb levels of fitness and their contribution behind the stumps has helped their teams’ tremendously. While the Australian wicketkeeper managed to make 55 dismissals in first 12 Test matches of his career, Kock has 44 dismissals to his name till now in his Test career. 

	de Kock	Adam Gilchrist
Tests	853 runs in 13 matches at an average of 50.17	5570 runs in 96 matches at an average of 47.60
ODI’s	2850 runs in 69 matches at an average of 43.84	9619 runs in 287 matches at an average of 35.89
T20’s	742 runs in 29 matches with a strike rate of 128.37	272 runs in 13 matches with a strike rate of 141.66

One thing that probably distinguishes them is their mindset with which they bat. The Australian was always known as an aggressive and carefree batsman who had the tendency to sometimes slog the ball. On the other hand, de Kock is known for his ability to adjust his game according to the conditions and playing with a sound technique and maturity.

This in no sense means that Gilchrist didn’t possess the required technique or skill. But the young South African’s temperament and resistance has helped him to better his technique and also pace and construct his innings. This ability of the 23-year-old might help him in climbing up the ladder to match the Australian legends’ numbers.

But matching the legendary Australian’s numbers is no mean feat; de Kock has to play long, quality cricket in the coming years to match former Australian cricketer’s class and numbers.