Cricket is a game of uncertainty. Apart from batting and bowling, there is another important aspect of the game which is fielding. A good team always creates chances and grabs opportunities on the Cricket field. Catches are one of the most common ways of dismissals in Cricket. Holding on to catches in close encounters ultimately changes the course of the game. There have been many instances on the Cricket field where we have seen the importance of taking catches. We will look at some of the most brilliant catches taken on the Cricket field that helped teams become champions. People are vey excited to see some upcoming matches cricket.
Here is the list of best cricket catches of all times:
Kapil Dev’s World Cup-winning catch
West Indies dominated World Cricket in the 1970s. The third edition of the World Cup in 1983 was played between India and West Indies. India could manage only 183 runs and West Indies were favorites to win the World Cup. During the West Indies innings, Viv Richards was in great touch and hit seven boundaries. He was batting on 33 runs from 27 balls and was looking very dangerous.
India got the opportunity they wanted when Richards hooked a Madan Lal delivery in the air. It was the Indian captain Kapil Dev who ran backward to take the most iconic catch of all time to dismiss the batting great Viv Richards. Soon after his dismissal, the West Indies team had a batting collapse and they never recovered. They were bowled out for 140 and the Indian team won the match by 43 runs and were crowned the ultimate champions.
Greg Dyer’s catch of England’s Captain in the World Cup final
The 1987 world cup was played between Australia and England. Australia made 253 runs in the first innings. England began their chase well and was cruising to their target at 135 for 2. Their Captain Mike Gatting was playing well at 41 along with Bill Athey at the other end. Both batsmen were playing well.
This is when the Australian captain Allan Border decided to bowl. He was a part-time spin bowler. On the very first ball, Mike Gatting who was set and looked in great touch decided to reverse sweep his Australian counterpart. The ball took the edge of the bat and went up in the air. Greg dyer who was behind the wickets took the all-important catch. This catch gave Australian team the hope and belief. England kept losing wickets and fell short by 7 runs in the end. Australia won the world cup for the first time and created history.
Sreesanth catch in the 2007 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan
Arch rivals India and Pakistan reached the T20 finals. Batting first India posted a competitive total of 157 runs. Pakistan in reply kept losing wickets but Misbah Ul Haq stayed till the end. The equation came down to 13 runs in the final over. Indian Captain M.S Dhoni gave the ball to Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over.
The first ball he bowled was wide which meant Pakistan needed 12 runs off 6 balls. The next ball was a good delivery and no run was scored. Misbah Ul Haq scored six runs off the next delivery and Pakistan was back in the game. Now Pakistan required 6 runs of 4 balls. On the next ball, Misbah played a scoop shot which went up in the air and Sreesanth took the all-important catch. It was the last Pakistan to fall and India won the World Cup by 5 runs.
Jordan Cox’s relay catch with teammate Matt Milnes
With the advent of T20 cricket, there have been many displays of outstanding catches. One such instance of outstanding catching took place in the T20 Vitality Blast Final in 2021. The final was played between Kent and Somerset. Batting first Kent put up a total of 167 runs. In reply, Somerset was 89 runs in 13 overs. They needed another 78 runs in 7 overs.
In the 14th over Somerset Captain Lewis Gregory pulled a delivery from Darren Stevens and it looked like a certain six. However, Jordan Cox leaps over the boundary and throws the ball back into the field where Matt Milnes stood to complete the relay catch. It is one of the most outstanding catches of modern-day cricket. The catch helped the Kent team to get the upper hand and they eventually went on to win the game by 25 runs.
Hemang Badani catch of Australian Captain at Eden Gardens
In 2001, Australia defeated India in the first test match by 10 wickets. They were on a winning streak of 16 matches and looked invincible. In the second test match, Australia made 445 runs in the first innings and bowled out India for a mere 171 runs thereby taking a lead of 274. India was asked to follow on. In reply VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid built a partnership of 376 runs and India set a total of 384 runs for the Australian team to chase. In reply, Australia started well and scored quick runs. Australia made 166 runs for the loss of 3 wickets and looked in control. Matthew Hayden and Steven Waugh built a good partnership.
Meanwhile, Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly dropped a catch of the Australian Captain. He replaced himself with the substitute fielder Hemang Badani. There was another catch that came in the same direction and Badani made no mistake and took the catch of the Australian Captain. The fall of the Australian Captain led to their downfall. They soon fell apart and were dismissed for 212 runs. This gave the Indian team their most memorable win in test cricket. This was only the third instance of a team winning the match after being forced to follow on. India also ended the 16-match winning streak of the Australian team. This win also gave them the belief and confidence which helped them to win the last test match of the series also. India eventually won the three-match test series by 2-1 and started a new era of Indian Cricket.
Conclusion
Time and again we have seen the importance of catches in Cricket. The team who holds on to catches has been able to turn the tables in their favor. Whether it’s Test, One Day, or the new T20 format, catches are game changers in all the matches. The great teams to dominate Cricket in any era have been good catching teams. This is the reason why teams today focus on specialist fielders for slips and other important catching positions as it is correctly said that catches win matches.
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