Top 5 players with the most catches in Test Cricket

Catches win matches, and that’s the old proverb going on from the start of the game of cricket. Whether it’s the T20s, the ODIs, or even the longest format of the game, catches always help a side in putting their dominance over the opponents. Fielding has always been a vital aspect in the game as it puts pressure on the sides with the new batters walking in. From Joe Root to Rahul Dravid to Mahela Jayawardene to Steve Smith, everyone has earned success in this field. 

One can look back at the opening Test of the ongoing five-match series between England and India, where the Shubman Gill-led side dropped four catches in their first innings, with the ball, at Leeds. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the culprit on many occasions, whether at the gully region or even in the outfield. The result was known to all as India lost the contest by five wickets with the home side chasing a record fourth-innings total.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 players with the most catches in Test cricket.

5. Jacques Kallis (200 catches)

There was hardly anything the former South African player couldn’t do. If one needs to score runs at the top, or pick wickets in the middle overs, or grab those fine catches at the slip region, or any other places in the ground, Jacques Kallis would always walk at the top. The veteran is fifth on the list of most catches in the longest format with 200 scalps in 315 innings. He had bucket hands, and there was hardly any catch that he dropped in his days.

See Also: [WATCH]: ENG vs IND 2025: Shubman Gill furious with umpire for changed ball

He was also the third highest run-getter of the longest format with 13289 runs in 280 innings at an average of 45.37, thanks to 45 centuries and 58 half-centuries at the best score of 224 runs.

4. Steve Smith (200 catches)

The former Australia captain and the current batter of the side, Steve Smith, is fourth on the list, jointly with Kallis, thanks to 200 catches in 225 innings. He will have a chance, though, to go up the ladder. Smith is another fabulous fielder in the slip region. There are the brilliant one-handed grabs from the New South Wales batter that caught the eyes of the fans around the globe. Smith always stands with relaxed hands and pays full concentration to the ball till the last moment to grab it.

At the start of the year 2025, Smith crossed the 10000-run mark in the red-ball format and now has 10424 runs in 260 innings at an average of 53.62 with 36 centuries.

3. Mahela Jayawardene (205 catches)

c Mahela Jayawardene b Muttiah Muralidharan will always be the best combination in the five-day format. Whenever a team used to trip Sri Lanka in the past, the fear was the former legendary off-spinner. But he was excellent only because Mahela used to stand with his big safe hands at the slip region and caught thousands of the bowlers. Whenever a batter used to get an outside edge, there was no meaning to back; Mahela had already picked it.

With the bat, the Sri Lankan legend finished with 11814 runs as the country’s second leading run-getter in 280 innings at an average of nearly 50 with 34 centuries at the best score of 374.

2. Rahul Dravid (210 catches)

The amount of concentration the former Indian captain had; he was bound to be a successful slip fielder. Rahul Dravid was always attentive at the bowler with the bat, and it was the same case in the slip position. He was the leader of the list for a long time before slipping down to the second position. Dravid has picked up 210 catches in 301 innings. He will be among the best slip fielders, compared to many former players.

With the blade, he is the fourth-highest run-getter with 13288 runs in 286 innings at an average of 52.31 and a strike rate of 42.51, shouldering 36 centuries.

1. Joe Root (211 catches)

It was the Karun Nair wicket in the evening session of the third Lord’s Test that helped Joe Root overtake Dravid, as he now has 211 catches, the most by a fielder in the longest format, in 296 innings. Fielding in England is not an easy job. The ball tends to come at them most often, and that puts pressure on the fielders all the time. Also, the chilly weather doesn’t help in keeping the hands soft and warm. But Root was decent in the job.

He also went past Dravid earlier on the same day with 37 Test centuries and is now the fifth leading run-getter with 13219 runs in 284 innings at an average of 50.84. His eyes are the cherry on the cake, Sachin Tendulkar’s 15921 runs in 329 innings. At this age, he is still a fit guy to break the record.