Top 5 wicketkeeper-batsmen in Test cricket currently

Combining great batting with equally great wicket-keeping is one difficult act One of the best sentences that describe gloves manship is also a thankless one: ‘a wicketkeeper is doing everything right when he goes unnoticed.’Indeed, wicketkeeping is not a job that is often recognized for analysis or review and a good wicketkeeper is almost always left unappreciated. It is probably this notion that fuels today’s glovesmen to work themselves not just behind the stumps but also in front of it.Representing your country is a huge issue, and the criteria laid down by national selectors might seem overwhelming. Gone are those days when one could just focus on diving, catching and stumping and reserve a spot in the dressing room.Cricket has changed a lot, and irrespective of how good you are with the gloves, you’re not worth a place in modern times unless you hold the potential to score a hundred at No. 7.Most of the international teams have undergone phases of transition in the last few months. Matt Prior handed over the gloves to Jos Buttler last summer, Peter Neville has replaced Brad Haddin, Wriddhiman Saha has taken over the mantle from MS Dhoni. South Africa is exploring options in Quinton de Kock and Dane Vilas in order to relieve AB de Villiers of part-time duties while Sri Lanka is still undecided between Kusal Perera and Dinesh Chandimal.Keeping with the discussion, the author, here, enlists five best wicketkeeper-batsmen currently in Test cricket.

#5 BJ Watling

Bradley John Watling, lovingly called ‘Crabby’ for his excellent lateral movement in the field, has been in and out of the New Zealand dressing room since 2008-09. The rain that had dashed his hopes of a century on debut against Pakistan also dimmed his chances somewhat of making a lasting impression on the selectors’ minds.

However, the right-handed opener does have impressive statistics to boast of. He was involved in a 352-run record partnership with Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum in early 2014 which was surpassed 11 months later by Kane Williamson and him against Sri Lanka. Further, the 33-Test old batsman has already been involved in 3 of the 6 highest 200+ run sixth wicket partnerships in the team’s history.

Take all that and the fact that he is a part-time wicketkeeper who has stood behind the stumps on more number of occasions than a part-timer usually does. In fact, 101 catches and 5 stumpings in just 56 innings speak volumes about his fielding.

With Luke Ronchi not doing enough justice to his promise and Brendon McCullum reluctant to don the gloves in the longest format of the game, Watling definitely seems to be in for a good run in the foreseeable future.