A pioneer walks into the sunset

October 1996 - Makes his ODI debut at the age of 24. Scores 18 batting at No. 7 and grabs two catches in the loss to South Africa in Faridabad.

April 1997 - Replaces the struggling captain Mark Taylor as a specialist batsman during the ODI tour of South Africa. Shows the first glimpse at international level of his batting potential, striking 77 from 88 balls in Durban.

January 1998 - Is promoted by Steve Waugh to open the batting in the one-day team, and in just his second match in the new role strikes 100 from 104 deliveries to guide Australia to a comfortable win over South Africa at the SCG.

February 1999 - Cracks 154 from 129 deliveries in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Melbourne. It was at the time the highest score by an Australian in a one-day international.

November 1999 - Makes his Test debut at the Gabba, the home ground of his predecessor Ian Healy. Wins over the crowd with 81 from 88 balls, as well as five catches and a stumping. His first dismissal is Mohammad Wasim, caught off Damien Fleming.

November 1999 - In only his second Test he is part of one of the most remarkable come-from-behind Test victories. At Bellerive Oval, Australia fall to 5 for 126 chasing 369 to beat Pakistan, when Gilchrist and Justin Langer combine for a 238-run stand to win the match. Gilchrist's contribution is 149 not out from 163 balls.

April 2000 - Collects five dismissals in a Test innings for the first time, then follows with another five in the second innings. His ten catches against New Zealand in Hamilton make him one of only three men - and the only Australian - to pouch at least ten chances in a Test.

December 2000 - Is handed the captaincy in just his 12th Test after Steve Waugh is ruled out through injury. Leads Australia to a five-wicket win against West Indies in Adelaide.

February 2001 - Turns another match on its head with Australia at 5 for 99 against India in Mumbai. Gilchrist's 122 from 112 balls - the second fifty took 29 deliveries - helps set up a ten-wicket win.

August 2001 - Stumps Darren Gough off Shane Warne at the Oval to register his 100th Test dismissal, in his 22nd match.

February 2002 - Posts his highest Test score as Australia maul South Africa by an innings and 360 runs in Johannesburg. Gilchrist's unbeaten 204 comes at almost a run a ball and features eight sixes, and Wisden says: "Gilchrist was playing with them like a cat keeping a half-dead mouse alive for entertainment". Belts another century in Cape Town and finishes the series with 473 runs at 157.66.

October 2003 - Becomes the third Australian wicketkeeper to reach 200 Test dismissals. Achieves the milestone by catching Tatenda Taibu off Brad Hogg at the SCG.

January 2004 - Hammers 172 from 126 balls against Zimbabwe in a one-dayer at Bellerive Oval. It remains his highest ODI score.

March 2004 - Helps Australia recover from what appears a losing position to beat Sri Lanka in Kandy. Bats at No. 3 in the second innings - Australia made 120 in their first - and puts on a 200 partnership with Damien Martyn. Gilchrist makes 144 and Australia win by 27 runs.

October 2004 - Captains Australia to their first series win in India for 35 years, guiding them through their first three Tests as they take an unassailable 2-0 lead.

January 2005 - Belts Pakistan into oblivion once again, hammering a century from 109 balls in Sydney. Gilchrist brings up the milestone with a straight six off Shahid Afridi and finishes with 113.

February 2005 - Creates the only wicket that Glenn McGrath ever wanted to disown, by stumping Craig McMillan while standing up to the stumps to McGrath in an ODI in Wellington. It was the first stumping off McGrath in any senior match, and it came from a delivery timed at 136kph.

March 2005 - Hammers 162 from 146 balls against New Zealand in Wellington. It is his third century in consecutive innings, making him the first Australian batsman since Don Bradman in 1947-48 to achieve the feat.

July-September 2005 - Australia lose the Ashes in England and Gilchrist has a poor tour, with only 19 victims from the five Tests. He later singles out the Old Trafford Test as the lowest point. He drops Michael Vaughan on 41 - he went on to make 166 - and misses two simple stumping chances off Shane Warne.

August 2005 - Collects his 300th Test dismissal when he catches Ian Bell off Shaun Tait at Trent Bridge.

October 2005 - Makes a mockery of the ICC World XI with 103 from 79 balls at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium. Achieves the feat against an attack boasting Muttiah Muralitharan, Daniel Vettori, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Flintoff and Shoaib Akhtar. Gilchrist is eventually dismissed by Virender Sehwag.

April 2006 - Saves Australia from potential embarrassment against Bangladesh in Fatullah. After Bangladesh make 427, Australia stumble to 6 for 93. Gilchrist combines with the bowlers beautifully, and manages 144 to get his team back in the match. The bowlers and Ricky Ponting secure the win.

November 2006 - Passes Rod Marsh's mark of 355 Test victims when he catches Paul Collingwood off Stuart Clark in the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba.

December 2006 - Destroys England with the second-fastest Test century in history, taking 57 balls and falling one delivery short of Viv Richards' record. Achieves the feat at his home ground at the WACA and thrills the crowd as he bashes his second fifty in 17 balls. Deals with Monty Panesar especially harshly, taking 24 from one memorable over.

January 2007 - Equals his personal best of five dismissals in an innings. Finishes the Test against England at the SCG with nine victims as he helps secure Australia's Ashes whitewash.

April 2007 - In a breathtaking innings of clean hitting and bravado, strikes 149 from 104 deliveries in the World Cup final as Australia beat Sri Lanka in Bridgetown. Is named Man of the Match and later reveals part of his success was due to using a squash ball inside his glove.

November 2007 - Becomes the first man to strike 100 sixes in Test cricket, when he slog-sweeps Muttiah Muralitharan out of Bellerive Oval. The ball disappears and after numerous pleas for its return it is tracked down to Melbourne and given back to Gilchrist.

December 2007 - Takes a regulation outside edge from Wasim Jaffer off Brett Lee to register his 396th Test victim. The catch at the MCG moves him past Ian Healy to become Australia's leading wicketkeeper in terms of dismissals.

January 2008 - Becomes the second wicketkeeper to reach 400 Test dismissals when he catches MS Dhoni off Brett Lee in Sydney.

January 25, 2008 - Takes a regulation outside edge to remove Anil Kumble off Mitchell Johnson's bowling in Adelaide. The catch takes Gilchrist to 414 Test victims and he passes Mark Boucher to become the world-record holder for most wicketkeeping dismissals. He achieves the milestone in his 96th Test.

January 26, 2008 - Announces his retirement from all forms of cricket, effective from the end of the CB Series.

February 15, 2008 - Gilchrist scores 118 against Sri Lanka, his 16th and last ODI hundred as he bids farewell to the WACA.

February 29, 2008 - Blitzes 83 off 50 balls in his last appearance at the MCG, but his knock proves to be in vain as Australia succumb to a 13-run loss.

March 4, 2008 - Gilchrist bows out quietly when he scores just two runs in Australia's nine-run loss to India in the second final of the CB Series at the Gabba.