Top 5 Fielders Who Took 5 Catches in a Single Test Innings -Dhananjaya de Silva

Dhananjaya de Silva on Saturday joined a special club in Test cricket history. The Sri Lankan skipper joined 14 other players to join an elite club. De Silva is now joint top with 14 others to taken five catches in an innings during a Test match by a fielder. 

This feat was achieved during the 2024 Test versus New Zealand in Galle. The first man to achieve the feat was former Australian skipper Vic Richardson. Incidentally there are four Indian players in the list. Yajurvindra Singh became the first Indian to achieve this feat along with Mohammad Azharuddin, Kris Srikkanth, and Ajinkya Rahane. 

Taking five catches in an innings by a fielder is very rare. Richardson’s feat came in 1936. Test cricket had to wait 41 years more before the next feat was achieved. With players getting more athletic, many more fielders have taken 5 catches in a Test innings in the last decade. Australian star Steve Smith is the only fielder to accomplish this feat twice.

Here is the complete list of fielders to have taken five catches in a Test innings 

5-Graeme Smith vs Australia – Perth 2012 

Former South African skipper Graeme Smith became one of the few fielders to take 5 catches in a single innings. This came during the Perth Test in 2012 in what was Ricky Ponting’s international adieu. Australia were chasing a monstrous target of 632 runs to win. Graeme Smith began by taking the catches of David Warner and Shane Watson. His third catch was that of Matthew Wade for 10. The 4th and 5th catches were that of John Hastings and Nathan Lyon to join the cricket fielding milestone. 

4- Darren Sammy vs India – Mumbai 2013

Just like Graeme Smith the year earlier, former West Indian star Darren Sammy was part of a special Test in Mumbai. This was Sachin Tendulkar’s 200th and final Test match. The former West Indian star took 5 catches in India’s only innings. Sammy began with the catch of Murali Vijay for 43. The former T20 World Cup winning skipper also took the catches of Virat Kohli for 57, MS Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 4 each. The biggest catch was that of Sachin Tendulkar who snapped in the slips for 74. Sammy though didn’t celebrate as this marked the last time the Indian great walked onto the field. 

3- Ajinkya Rahane vs Sri Lanka – Galle -2015

Sri Lanka came back from the dead to beat India by 63 during the 1st Test in Galle during the 2015 series. Ajinkya Rahane took five catches during the 2nd innings of Sri Lanka to join a special group of top Test fielders list. Dhammika Prasad became Rahane’s 1st catch off Varun Aaron for 3. The Indian star then took Kumar Sangakkara’s catch in what was the Lankan legend’s final series. Rahane then took the catches of Lahiru Thirimanne for 44, Rangana Herath for 1 and Jehan Mubarak for 49. Rahane became just the 4th Indian star to take 5 catches in a single innings of Test cricket. 

2- Steve Smith vs England – Leeds -2023 

Australian star Steve Smith had already taken five catches in an innings during the Cape Town test vs South Africa in 2018. The second time Steve Smith accomplished this was in the Leeds Test during the 2023 Ashes series. The Aussie star with this achieved a unique cricket fielding milestone. Steve Smith’s first two catches were that of Harry Brook for 3 and Jonny Bairstow for 12. The third catch was that of Ben Stokes who had smashed 80 off 108 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes. The final two catches were that of Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad as England went onto win the Test by 3 wickets. 

1- Dhananjaya De Silva vs New Zealand – Galle -2024

The latest entrant to this list is Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya De Silva. His 5 catches in the first innings of the 2nd Test vs New Zealand in Galle helped his side take lead of 514 runs. The first catch for De Silva was that of Devon Conway towards the end of 2nd day for 9. The Lankan skipper then hung to sharp chance off Kane Williamson to pouch his 2nd grab. Tom Blundell saw De Silva take a blinder to send him back to the hut for 1. The final two catches for the Lankan skipper were that of Glenn Phillips. This helped Dhananjaya De Silva enter a special club of Test cricket records.