Most Test Runs In Australia By Visiting Wicketkeepers

Jatin∙ Updated: Nov 22 2024, 3:40 PM | 3 Min Read

Pant has scored the most runs as a visiting WK in Tests in Australia [Source: @WRish_17/x.com]

Scoring runs in Test cricket is a difficult task as it is but doing it in Australia against their relentless pace attack is a whole different beast. The bouncy pitches, fast bowlers, and extreme pressure make it a nightmare for most batters.

It's a tougher job for wicketkeepers as they are generally walking in with the team in trouble or with the tailenders and, somehow, are still expected to deliver. However, a few visiting keepers have managed to do just that in style. Here's a look at the top three visiting wicketkeeper-batters with the most runs in Australia.

3. Jeff Dujon (West Indies)

Jeff Dujon [Source: @ICC/x.com]

Jeff Dujon was a rock in the West Indies' golden era of cricket. While the star-studded batting lineup usually got all the limelight, Dujon quietly did his job and did it brilliantly. 

In 11 matches in Australia between 1982 and 1989, he scored 587 runs in 18 innings. That's an average of 36.68, which is pretty solid for someone who often batted with the tail.

Time and again, Dujon showed that he could hold his own against some of the best bowlers Australia had to offer. Dujon was very dependable. He kept the scoreboard ticking, guided the lower order, and saved his team multiple times.

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2. Alan Knott (England)

Alan Knott [Source: @ICC/x.com]

Alan Knott was courage and determination personified. Playing during the 1970s, an era of fearful fast bowlers, Knott managed to make his mark. Across 13 matches and 22 innings in Australia, he notched 643 runs at a brilliant average of 33.84. His unbeaten 106 is still talked about as one of the bravest knocks by a wicketkeeper-batter Down Under.

Knott was never the most stylish batter, but what he lacked in flamboyance, he made up for in a fight. He had a knack for tiring bowlers, absorbing the pressure, and dragging his team out of trouble. Facing legends like Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson wasn't for the faint-hearted, but Knott showed he was made of tough stuff.

1. Rishabh Pant (India)

Rishabh Pant [Source: @WRish_17/x.com]

And now, sitting proudly at the top is none other than Rishabh Pant, who is pure box office. Since making his debut in 2018, Pant has rewritten what it means to be a wicketkeeper-batter in Test cricket. In just eight matches in Australia, he's smashed 661 runs in 13 innings at an insane average of 66.10. No one else even comes close.

His unforgettable 159* in Sydney during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy was a statement knock that proved what he's made of. Then his 89* during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at The Gabba that helped India breach Australia’s fortress at the venue was a knock for the ages.

Pant hasn't just survived in Australian conditions; he has thrived. Whether it's stepping out to whack Nathan Lyon for a six or taking on the quicks like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, Pant's fearless approach has left everyone in awe.

What makes him even more special is his ability to take the game away from the opposition. The southpaw is the kind of player who keeps everyone watching on the edge of their seats, and he's already etched his place in the history books.

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