Australia’s Steve Smith took a stunning one-handed slip catch against South Africa on Day 3 of the first Test in Durban. The catch left teammates ecstatic and helped Smith surpass Joe Root for the most catches by a fielder in Test cricket.
Australia’s Test vice-captain and talismanic batter Steve Smith’s stunning catch at slip left his teammates ecstatic on Day 3 of the first Test of the three-match series against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday, October 11.
Australia were in the driver’s seat at the end of Day 3, as the visitors bundled out the hosts for 284/4 in 78 overs before resuming their batting in the second innings, posting a total of 27/0 in five overs, with openers Travis Head and Nic Maddinson batting on 11 and 10, respectively, and extending their overall lead to 139 runs from the first innings.
Australia’s bowling quartet, skipper Pat Cummins (3/54). Josh Hazlewood (2/54), Mitchell Starc (2/63), and Nathan Lyon (2/58) were instrumental in dismantling the South African batting lineup, delivering disciplined spells throughout the day to keep the pressure firmly on the hosts.
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Steve Smith’s Stunning Catch Leaves Teammates Go Wild
As Australia took full control of the match on a gripping Day 3 at Kingsmead, Steve Smith’s brilliant reflexes in the slips provided one of the standout highlights of the session. As the Proteas batters were weathering a disciplined Australian attack, Smith’s brilliance at the slip became one of the highlights of the day.
The incident took place in the 54th over of South Africa’s first innings batting when Kyle Verreynne attempted to go for a reverse-sweep shot off veteran spinner Nathan Lyon’s delivery. Verreynne was forced to change the shot when Lyon delivered the ball, prompting the South African batter to adjust to his shot.
Smith anticipated the reverse sweep, moved swiftly to his right, and pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at slip to dismiss him for 13. The Australian Test vice-captain’s brilliance at slip left his teammates stunned, with Marnus Labuschagne exclaiming, ‘Far Out, Stevo Time. He’s Got Two.’
Matt Renshaw, who was fielding nearby, was also seen celebrating the remarkable effort, ecstatically saying, ‘Oh My God, Smudge! Oh, My God!’, adding to the sheer excitement in the field as the Australian players mobbed Smith to celebrate the remarkable moment.
Earlier, Steve Smith took a catch of South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma, similarly pulling off a sharp, sharp-reflex catch at slip off Nathan Lyon to send the South African skipper packing for just 3 runs.
Smith’s position at slip cordon has become a pivotal asset for Australia in red-ball cricket, showcasing his extraordinary anticipation, swift reflexes, and unmatched consistency in turning high-pressure chances into crucial breakthroughs.
Steve Smith Becomes Fielder with Most Catches in Tests
Steve Smith might have piled up runs aplenty with the bat over the years, nearing the 11,000-run mark in Tests, but his latest fielding masterclass pushed him past yet another landmark in the history of red-ball cricket at the international level.
With two crucial catches of Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne, Steve Smith overtook Joe Root’s tally of 220 catches to become the most successful non-wicketkeeper fielder in Test history. Currently, Smith’s tally stands at 223 catches in 240 Test innings, meaning the former Australian captain took roughly 1 match per innings.
Steve Smith is only one of the five non-wicketkeeper fielders after Joe Root (220), Rahul Dravid (210), Mahela Jayawardene (205), and Jacques Kallis (200) to take 200 or more catches in Test history, now leading the elite club with an exceptional catching rate of nearly 1.77 catches per match.
In his international career, Smith has taken 350 catches in 476 innings, making him the only fourth non-wicketkeeper fielder after Mahela Jayawardene (440), Ricky Ponting (364), and Ross Taylor (354) to cross 350 catches across all formats of international cricket.
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