On this day, 23 February 2002, during the first Test between Australia and South Africa, Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist slammed the then-fastest double century in a Test match, leading his team to victory by an innings and 360 runs.
Launching a brutal assault on South Africa’s bowling line-up in Johannesburg, the southpaw scored 204 not out from 212 balls, which included 19 boundaries and eight glorious sixes.
Australia’s batsman Adam Gilchrist (L) defends the wicket 23 February 2002 as South Africa’s keeper Mark Boucher prepares for a catch, during the second day of the first Cricket test between South Africa and Australia, at the Wanderers Cricket grounds in Johannesburg.
AFP PHOTO YOAV LEMMER (Photo by YOAV LEMMER / AFP)
Australia elected to bat after winning the toss and Gilchrist’s 204 helped the visiting team pulverise South Africa with their staggering total of 652 for 7.
Hitting the then-fastest Test double ton, the Australian superstar bettered the previous-quickest double century record in the history of Test cricket. He broke the 220 ball-mark achieved by England’s Ian Botham at The Oval in 1982 in a match against India. Adam Gilchrist reached his double ton in 212 deliveries.
Matthew Hayden had taken the honours on the first day, before being dismissed by Allan Donald for 122. Playing his 29th Test, Gilchrist came to the crease when Australia was at 293 for 5. The southpaw was on 21 and Damien Martyn was at 25 at the end of the first day.
It was on the second day that Gilchrist unleashed a wide range of attacking shots against the Proteas. The wicket-keeper batter smacked 20 from an over by medium-pacer Neil McKenzie. A South African gold company had put up a hoarding in the stadium behind the deep midwicket boundary and offered 1.3 million rand to anyone who could hit it directly. McKenzie pitched short and Gilchrist’s massive six missed the hoarding only by a whisker.
Nevertheless, the Australian cricketer kept going hard at the bowlers and reached his half-century in 89 balls and his fifth Test ton in 121 balls. All this while, Gilchrist found an able ally in Damien Martyn.
Together, the duo added a massive 317 for the sixth wicket. Martyn got out after a splendid 133 and Gilchrist reached 199 off 211 balls. The first ball from all-rounder Jacques Kallis was then sent for a boundary by the southpaw, making him the then-fastest double ton in the history of cricket.
The visitors eventually declared their first innings at 7-652 with Gilchrist remaining unbeaten at a score of 204. Damien Martyn (133) and Matthew Hayden (122) also scored a ton each.
The Proteas were only able to put up a paltry score of 159 in the first innings with Ashwell Prince and Herschelle Gibbs being the top-scorers at 49 and 34, respectively. In the second innings, both the cricketers were once again the top-scorers but Gilchrist’s ferocious power-hitting left South Africa shell-shocked and the Proteas could never recover.
Faced with the formidable combination of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, the hosts played out a mere 86.3 overs in their two innings.
South Africa lost the match by a heavy margin – an innings and 360 runs and this was the second heaviest defeat in Test history. The visiting team also led the 3-match series 1-0.
With this phenomenal achievement, Adam Gilchrist also became the fifth wicketkeeper ever to get to 200, according to a Cricket Country article. The first four wicket-keepers to hit double centuries were Imtiaz Ali, Taslim Arif, Brendon Kuruppu and Andy Flower.
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