A purist in the truest sense, Adam Gilchrist couldn’t cope up with the fact that he dropped an easy catch of VVS Laxman during the Adelaide Test against India in 2008. With the missed catches bugging Gilchrist, the Aussie prematurely announced his retirement the very next day, which came as a massive shock to the cricketing fraternity.
Before the series, the southpaw rubbished any reports of retirement and maintained that there’s still a year or two left in him.
But, for Gilchrist, dropping Laxman’s catch behind the stumps in Test cricket is more than enough of a reason to retire.
“I reckon it’s a good reason to retire if you drop the catch of VVS Laxman in a Test match. You don’t wanna give him too many chances,” Gilchrist told TV presenter Madonna Tixeira in her show’ Live Connect’.
Gilly, as he is popularly known, revolutionised the role of wicket-keeper as his stellar batting ability knocked sense into other teams about the importance of a wicket-keeper being equally adept with the bat.
While talking about the India-Australia rivalry, the Aussie said that Indian batting line-ups used to give them a tough time.
“He [Laxman] along with most of the Indian batting line up used to smash us and then Harbhajan would come and bowl us out. So it was pretty easy to get out of there and say that’s me done for a while,” summed up Gilchrist.
Gilchrist, who has 905 dismissals in a decade-long career, stated that he always wanted to retire in good form, rather than being a burden on the team.
“As far as retiring at the right time I always felt like I rather retire and people say as oppose to play on and people say why haven’t you retired. I think it comes again from the foundations of your life from parents, your upbringing, The people that are around you that’s the way you play your game. Just try to be fair and honest about it,” concluded Gilchrist.
