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Cricket PlayersAiden Markram tuitions India in catching at Guwahati, breaks Ajinkya Rahane's world record as South Africa romp home
Aiden Markram sets record with nine catches, leading South Africa to a historic win in India.
As Aiden Markram took the catch of Washington Sundar in the second innings of the Guwahati Test between India and South Africa, he completed one of the most extraordinary fielding performances Test cricket has ever seen.
It was his ninth catch in the match, the most by any player in a Test match. He broke Ajinkya Rahane’s long-standing record for the most catches by an outfield player in a Test match.
Five sharp chances in India’s first innings were followed by four more in the second. In a match completely dominated by South Africa, his hands became an extension of their discipline.
Until today, Rahane stood tall at the top of this list with his eight catches masterclass at Galle in 2015. Markram has now gone one better, becoming the first player to reach nine in a game.
Behind Rahane, a distinguished group shared the second place with seven catches. Greg Chappell at the WACA in 1974, India’s Yajurvindra Singh at Bengaluru in 1977, Hashan Tillkaratne in Colombo in 1992, Stephen Fleming in Harare in 1997, Matthew Hayden in Galle in 2004, and KL Rahul at Trent Bridge in 2018. Markram’s Guwahati masterpiece now pushes all of them one rung down the ladder.
Most catches in a Test Match
In an era where fielding is given utmost importance in white-ball cricket, Markram’s performance is a reminder that discipline is equally important even in the longest format of the game. This Guwahati Test will be remembered for South Africa’s seam and spin combination, but its enduring image may be of Markram diving, tumbling, and staying low as one chance after another kept sticking to his hands.
From Rahane in Galle to Markram in Guwahati, the message is the same: when one of your best batters also fields like this, opponents aren’t just playing XI men- they are playing against a moving net.
Markram played a crucial role in South Africa knocking India over in the second Test and visitors winning a series in India after 25 years. They managed to bundle the Indian team by 140 runs in the second innings winning the game by 408 runs.
