PERTH, Oct 6: Former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy was caught off guard when South African keeper Mark Boucher surpassed his record of 395 Test dismissals, but feels that Boucher may have set a mark that will be hard to beat.

Boucher stumped Umar Gul in Pakistan's first innings of the first Test to eclipse Healy's feat and had mixed feelings about his achievement.

Although he was more than chuffed to hold the honour, he also felt "sad to break such a good keeper's record".

The keepers share a deep mutual respect for one another, with Boucher mentioning that he was mesmerised as a schoolboy at the way the great gloveman kept wickets.

Healy told the Courier-Mail: "He has been a great, solid performer who is held in the utmost respect by his team-mates.

He has been a great competitor and now it will be interesting to see how far he can take it. That record may never be surpassed if they decrease the amount of Test cricket played."

Healy may be right, as the closest competitor for the record, Adam Gilchrist, is currently on 381 dismissals and at 35 is nearing the end of his career.—Agencies