Top 5 current wicket-keeper batsmen in Test cricket

#1 BJ Watling (New Zealand)

BJ Watling has filled himself in the shoes of Brendon McCullum to a large extent of success

In all honesty, the sole batsman who has filled the shoes of an outgoing legend in the best possible manner has been New Zealand’s BJ Watling. Although he had been sharing the burden of wicketkeeping since the time Brendon McCullum gave up the gloves, but even after the latter’s departure, Watling has remained an integral part of the squad, the testimony to which have been his knocks of 107 and 83* against Zimbabwe during the recently-concluded Test series.

Overall, Watling has 2282 runs from 41 Tests at 40.03 with 6 Test hundreds and 12 fifties. Ironically, one of his most memorable knocks in Test cricket – his 124 vs India in Wellington – was overshadowed by his predecessor’s majestic 302, that helped NZ fightback from a first innings deficit and pull out one of the most remarkable comebacks in modern day cricket. Watling has scored hundreds against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, India, England and Bangladesh, and has scored them in foreign conditions as well.

The 31-year-old has, for quite some time now, put to rest NZ’s quest for a wicketkeeper-batsman, and if persisted with, which is a clear probability, can go on to become one of the better Newz Zealand batsmen to have graced the game.