Full list of players with the most catches in Test cricket: England batting great Joe Root added one more feather to his hat when he claimed a one-handed blinder to remove India’s Karun Nair while getting his 211th catch in Test cricket during Day 2 of the third Test against India at Lord’s in London on Friday. With this, Root broke Rahul Dravid’s long-standing record of most catches in Test cricket.
Former Indian skipper, Dravid, had 210 grabs in 164 Tests to his name. Root achieved this milestone in his 156th Test. Standing third on the list of players with the most catches is former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene. One of the safest close-in fielders of his time, Jayawardene has 205 catches from 149 Tests.
Among active cricketers, Steve Smith is the second-best with 200 grabs from 118 Tests. He is joint-fourth alongside the South African great Jacques Kallis. Kallis picked 200 catches in 166 Test matches. These five players are the only ones to have grabbed 200 or more catches in Test cricket.
Root’s 76.8 per cent catching efficiency makes him the sixth-best catcher (efficiency-wise) among fielders to take 75+ catches in Test cricket. Kane Williamson is the safest fielder as his 76 grabs come with an efficiency of 88.3 76 per cent.
But taking catch after catch in training is barely half of the story. The easy bit of the drill is knowing the catch is coming. In a Test, it can be hours or days. Standing, crouching and waiting, hoping for the edge and having the concentration to be ready when it comes.
Speaking on the art of taking catches and what does it take to be a good fielder, Root said, “You’re training your body, over and over again, that when the ball comes, you’re in the right position, lined up nicely, and staying nice and relaxed,” he said to BBC.
“It might be two days before you take a catch, but if it’s drilled into you, time and time again, it makes it that little bit easier. It takes that panic out of it. There are situations where the conditions are in the bowlers’ favour and you feel very much in the game the whole time. You are naturally in a very good headspace to catch. There are other times when it comes out of nowhere, catching you off guard,” he added.
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Full list of players with the most catches in Test cricket
| Player | Country | Career | Tests | Catches |
| Joe Root* | England | 2012- | 156 | 211 |
| Rahul Dravid | India | 1996-2012 | 164 | 210 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 1997-2014 | 149 | 205 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 1995-2013 | 166 | 200 |
| Steve Smith* | Australia | 2010- | 118 | 200 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 1995-2012 | 168 | 196 |
| Mark Waugh | Australia | 1991-2002 | 128 | 181 |
| Alastair Cook | England | 2006-2018 | 161 | 175 |
| Stephen Fleming | New Zealand | 1994-2008 | 111 | 171 |
| Graeme Smith | South Africa | 2002-2014 | 117 | 169 |
