Most stumpings in Test cricket: Best wicket-keepers in the business

The long format of Test cricket tests a wicket-keeper as ruthlessly as it does to a batsman or bowler. Australia’s WAS Oldfield, who has the most stumpings in Test cricket, is a prime example of the same.

Wicketkeeping is a challenging job as it requires both mental and physical stamina. Wicketkeepers need to keep their eyes on every ball bowled and remain constantly alert. Stumping, in particular, requires tremendous mental alertness and is no mean feat.

Play your favourite games on MPL and win 40 Cr worth of guaranteed prizes. Celebrate Diwali with MPL where there will be 10,000 winners every hour and 500 Lakhpatis. Join us at the Diwali Lakhpati Party that celebrates winners at every game – Rummy, Poker, Callbreak, Ludo, SnL and Fantasy. Play from the 29th Sept to 31st Oct at MPL, and you can win in Lakhs.

Let us find out the list of top 10 bowlers with the most stumpings in whites.

Most stumpings in Test cricket: Top 10 list

WAS Oldfield (Australia) – 52 stumpings

Sitting right at the top of the list is Australia’s Bert Oldfield, who played 54 Tests between 1920 and 1937. He has 130 dismissals in 101 innings, which includes 78 catches and 52 stumpings. One of his most impressive performances with the gloves came in the fourth Test of England’s tour of Australia in 1925, in which he executed four stumpings in an innings and took one catch. Although England won the Test by an innings and 29 runs, it was Oldfield’s keeping that stole the show. He was also an able batsman, scoring 1427 runs in 80 innings at an average of 22.65.  Oldfield, who passed away in 1976, still ranks as one of Australia’s greatest wicketkeepers.

TG Evans, England– 46 stumpings

Next on the list is TG Evans, who played for England in 91 matches between 1946 and 1959 and effected 219 dismissals in 175 innings, which includes 173 catches and 46 stumpings. Described by Wisden as ‘arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen’, Evans was the first keeper to reach 200 Test dismissals and the first English cricketer to collect 2000 runs and 200 dismissals in Test cricket. With the bat, he has figures of 20.49 in 91 matches, which includes two centuries. He made his highest score, 144, at Taunton in 1952. Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1951, Evans passed away on 3 May 1999.

Syed Kirmani, India – 38 stumpings

The first wicketkeeper from India on the list of most stumpings in Test match cricket is Syed Kirmani, who played 88 Test matches from 1976 to 1986. He collected 198 dismissals in 151 innings, including 160 catches and 38 stumpings. The most number of dismissals he effected in an innings are six – five catches and one stumping. The 72-year-old was also an able batsman down the order, having scored two Test hundreds. Kirmani played an important role in India’s triumph in the 1983 World Cup – he was exceptional behind the stumps while also chipping in with the bat on a few occasions.

MS Dhoni, India – 38 stumpings

Former India captain MS Dhoni, who played 90 Tests between 2005 and 2014, has the same number of dismissals as Kirmani. Dhoni, one of the best keepers of his time, accumulated 294 Test dismissals in 191 innings, which includes 256 catches and 38 stumpings. On the list of most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in Tests, Dhoni ranks fifth after Mark Boucher, Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy and Rodney Marsh. Goes without saying that Dhoni was a great batsman too, having scored more than 4500 runs in 90 Tests, including six centuries and 33 fifties. Along with Dhoni, another Indian keeper worth mentioning is Kiran More. Although More does not find himself on the list of 10 bowlers withmost stumpings in Test cricket, he holds the record for being the only keeper to affect five stumpings in an innings.

Adam Gilchrist, Australia – 37 stumpings

Fifth on the list is former Australia cricketer Adam Gilchrist, regarded as one of the best wicketkeepers in the history of the game. In 96 Tests for Australia between 1999 and 2008, Gilchrist collected 416 dismissals in 191 innings, including 379 catches and 37 stumpings. His best performance with the gloves in a single innings saw him take five catches. With the bat, the southpaw averaged nearly 48, hitting 17 centuries and 26 fifties in the process. He ranks second in the list of most dismissals in a Test career, which makes him one of the greatest to have donned the keeping gloves.

Prasanna Jayawardene, Sri Lanka – 32 stumpings

The first Sri Lankan on the list is Prasanna Jayawardene, who played 58 Tests for Sri Lanka between 2000 and 2015, pocketing 156 dismissals in 102 innings, which includes 124 catches and 32 stumpings. His best performance in a single Test innings constituted five catches. With the bat, the right hander scored 2124 runs at an average of 29.50.

Ian Healy, Australia – 29 stumpings

Ian Healy, who played Test cricket for Australia from 1988 to 1999, dismissed 395 batsmen in 119 Tests, 366 through catches and 29 through stumpings. He is third on the list of most catches, and third on the list of most dismissals by a keeper in Tests. Healy was also dependable with the bat, scoring 4356 runs at an average of almost 28. He has four centuries and 22 fifties in the format. Since 1999, Healy has been a cricket commentator.

Wasim Bari, Pakistan – 27 stumpings

Next on the list of Pakistan’s Wasim Bari, who played 81 Test matches, accumulating 228 dismissals in 146 innings – 201 catches and 27 stumpings. He played an important role with the gloves for the Pakistan team of the 80s and 90s. Bari was also a competent late-order batsman who scored 1,366 runs in 112 innings. He played his last Test in 1984, after which he went on to become the head of Pakistan’s selection panel.

Romesh Kaluwitharana, Sri Lanka – 26 stumpings

The second Sri Lankan on the list is Romesh Shantha Kaluwitharana, who kept wickets across all formats. In a Test career spanning across 12 years, Kaluwitharana collected 119 dismissals in 85 innings with 93 catches and 26 stumpings. He was also an astute batsman who scored three Test centuries, including one on his debut in 1992 against the great Australian side. Kaluwitharana played his last Test in 2004 against Pakistan, post which he has worked in the capacity of a cricket coach for a few domestic teams.

Jack Blackham, Australia – 24 stumpings

Jack Blackham, known as the ‘price of wicket-keepers’ is considered by many as the keeper who revolutionised the art of wicket-keeping. He kept wickets for Australia in 35 tests between 1877 and 1894, collecting 59 dismissals in 57 innings, including 35 catches and 24 stumpings. He played his last game in 1894 and passed away in December 1932.  

Also read: Who is KKR Captain for IPL 2022? – A Brief History