Aiden Markram equalled the record for the most catches in a Test innings by a fielder, picking five of them in India’s first innings of the Guwahati Test.
As Marco Jansen registered a fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, Markram completed his first five-for of catches, as South Africa bowled out India for 201 to take a 287-run first-innings lead.
In reply to South Africa’s commanding 489, India started strongly as Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul added 65 runs for the opening wicket. Jaiswal completed his fifty after Rahul’s dismissal, but the southpaw’s wicket brought the team down.
Only one of the remaining nine batters crossed 20, as India were reduced from 95-1 to 122-7. Washington Sundar showed resistance with a 92-ball 48, while Kuldeep Yadav played the most deliveries of all Indian batters (134) to barely take the side past 200.
Jansen showed the way with the ball after Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj provided him with an opening by dismissing the top three batters. Hitting the hard lengths, Jansen, who had fallen short by seven runs to become the first visiting No.9 batter to hit a ton in India, accounted for six wickets, including four of India’s middle order.
Three of Jansen’s six wickets were courtesy of Aiden Markram’s catches, who plucked two more to equal a catching world record. He first took a low-handed catch to send Rahul back just when India were starting to look comfortable, before a blinder to send Nitish Kumar Reddy back.
2nd Test, India vs South Africa
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Ravindra Jadeja, Washington and Kuldeep all handed their catches to Markram, who picked the joint-most catches in a Test innings. There have been 15 other instances of a fielder taking five catches in a Test innings. Steve Smith is the only one to feature twice on the list.
Most catches in a Test innings as a fielder
Player | Catches | Team | Opposition | Ground | Season |
Vic Richardson | 5 | Australia | South Africa | Durban | 1935/36 |
Yajurvindra Singh | 5 | India | England | Bengaluru | 1976/77 |
Mohammad Azharuddin | 5 | India | Pakistan | Karachi | 1989/90 |
Kris Srikkanth | 5 | India | Australia | WACA | 1991/92 |
Stephen Fleming | 5 | New Zealand | Zimbabwe | Harare | 1997 |
Graeme Smith | 5 | South Africa | Australia | WACA | 2012/13 |
Darren Sammy | 5 | West Indies | India | Wankhede | 2013/14 |
Darren Bravo | 5 | West Indies | Bangladesh | Kingstown | 2014 |
Ajinkya Rahane | 5 | India | Sri Lanka | Galle | 2015 |
Jermaine Blackwood | 5 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | P Sara Oval | 2015 |
Steve Smith | 5 | Australia | South Africa | Cape Town | 2018 |
Ben Stokes | 5 | England | South Africa | Cape Town | 2019/20 |
Lahiru Thirimanne | 5 | Sri Lanka | England | Galle | 2020/21 |
Steve Smith | 5 | Australia | England | Leeds | 2023 |
Dhananjaya de Silva | 5 | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Galle | 2024 |
Aiden Markram | 5 | South Africa | India | Guwahati | 2025/26 |
