It’s the oldest saying in the book, Catches win matches!
As many park cricketers will tell you, the players with the safest hands on the team will often take their place fielding in the slips cordon, and will be the ones tasked with pouching the batter's nicks.
In the 148-year history of Test cricket, few players have emerged as the cream of the crop when it comes to taking catches in the cordon and the outfield.
Who has the safest hands in the game? View Sportsbet’s list of the Most Test Catches of all time below!
Most Test Catches of All Time
10. Graeme Smith - 169 catches
The former Proteas skipper was never one to not put himself in the firing line for his team.
Averaging more than half a catch per fielding innings, with a record of five catches in an innings, he is 10th overall, and second by a distance of South Africans taking catches in Test cricket.
9. Stephen Fleming - 171 catches
The Kiwi great was an exceptional skipper and slip fielder.
A highlight of how great he was in that position is that he sits more than 75 catches clear of any currently active Blackcap, making it a national record that might not ever fall.
171 snares in 199 innings in the field, he almost took one catch every time he walked out there.
8. Alistair Cook - 175 catches
The Chef cooked up many thousands of runs across his career at the top of the order for England. But, in a country we love to tag as butter-fingered fielders, Cook had one of the safest pairs of hands and was one of the finest slip fielders across his entire career.
175 catches over 300 fielding innings. He rarely got a bowl (although his celebration and bowling action for his solitary Test wicket is exceptionally funny viewing), this was his way of contributing without the bat in hand.
7. Mark Waugh - 181 catches
The Aussies have been blessed with some world-class slip fieldsmen over the years, and Mark Waugh was just one of the many freaks who took an occupancy in the cordon.
Back to the quicks, and then up close to the batters, catching the edges for his great mate Warney, ‘Junior’ had an unmatched reaction time, which saw him bag 181 catches from 245 innings out in the field.
6. Ricky Ponting - 196 catches
From one of the best pairs of hands the Aussies have ever had to one of the best all-round fielders Australia has produced.
Capable of throwing down the stumps from anywhere, ‘Punter’ was always in the game in each of the 328 innings he took the field. He had one of the safest pairs of hands the game had ever seen, pouching 196 catches from his natural habitat of second slip.
5. Jacques Kallis - 200 catches
Is there anything this guy couldn’t do on a Cricket field?
Over 13,000 Test Runs averaging over 50 with 45 hundreds. 292 Test wickets, taking his wickets at a tick over 30. And, he was a jet in the field, taking 200 catches as well?
Fielding 315 times in Test cricket, he averaged just over half a catch per innings. Just an insane all-round cricketer.
4. Mahela Jayawardene - 205 catches
This is a national record that will likely never get challenged. The Sri Lankan great is 117 catches ahead of the next best and 188 ahead of the first currently active Sri Lankan cricketer.
Jayawardene was one of the elite slip fieldsmen of his time, pouching 205 catches from the 270 innings he took the field. Almost one for every day in the dirt.
=2. Rahul Dravid - 210 catches
‘The Wall’ could indeed take a catch.
210 of them in fact, from 199 innings in the field, making him the most prolific Indian fielder ever.
A mighty feat, and a mighty record which he held from his playing retirement and even through his whole coaching journey of the national team. It was only recently surpassed in 2025.
=2. Steven Smith - 210 catches
The ‘Best since Bradman’ could have a claim to being the best slip fielder of all time as well.
Steven Peter Deveraux Smith, once a leg spinner, then the best batter and immovable object whenever he hit the crease, and now he finds himself close to the top of another list as one of the most prolific outfield catchers in the history of the game.
He almost has one catch for every inning he steps out on the field. And, if you go through his catalogue and highlight reel of some of his best, good luck picking out the 10 best. There will be fierce debate.
1. Joe Root - 213 catches
As he chases Sachin Tendulkar for the title of the most prolific Test runscorer in history, Root will continue taking every chance that comes his way to keep hold of the record he currently holds as Test cricket’s most prolific catcher.
There’s our list of the most prolific catchers in Test history. If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about the history of cricket, why not check out Who has Taken a Hat-trick for Australia and how the Duckworth-Lewis Stern method works.