Slip catching is one of the most important parts in the fielding department. Apart from batting and bowling, fielding is also an integral part of cricket. Nowadays, the cricketers have decided to work harder on fielding because they can save some precious runs by putting more efforts on the field.
Besides saving runs, there is another important job of the fielders. It is to take the catches and ensure that the bowler gets a wicket off the good delivery bowled by him. The slip cordon is one of the main areas for catching in the Test format. As the red ball swings more, there are more chances of a batsmen edging the ball towards the slip fielders in Tests than the other formats of cricket.
Fielding in slip cordon is not everyone’s cup of tea because it needs quick reaction. The ball travels quickly and the fielders need to react accordingly. Sometimes, the fielders take unbelievable catches in the slip cordon, while on the other side, there are also occasions when fielders drop sitters. In this listicle today, we will look at the five teams with the highest slip catching success rate in Test cricket since the start of 2019.
5. Sri Lanka – 81%
Sri Lanka has struggled in the Test format of late. After retirement of their legendary players, the Sri Lankan cricket team has not been the same.
In the ICC World Test Championship, the islanders managed to win only two Tests in six series. Still, their slip catching was better than other teams as they had a success rate of 81%.
4. India has the highest slip catching success rate among Asian Teams – 83%
India topped the ICC World Test Championship table. They only lost one Test series in this new competition which was against New Zealand in 2020.
India has some of the best fielders in the team. Their slip cordon’s success rate of taking 83% of the catches solidifies the aforementioned claim.
3. South Africa – 86%
Like Sri Lanka, South Africa’s Test team has suffered a lot after the legends retired. Once upon a time, the Proteas ruled the Test format of the game.
One thing that has still remained the same is the slip catching success rate. The South African cricket team has taken 86% of the catches in slips since the start of 2019.
2. Australia – 87%
Australia edged South Africa for a place in the Top 2 of this list. While the Proteas have taken 86% of the catches in the slips, Australia has 87% success rate.
The Aussies have dominated the Test format of the game, but India has troubled them a lot at home and away from home. Because of their series loss to India, Australia could not qualify for the WTC Final.
1. New Zealand has the highest slip catching success rate since 2019 – 91%
The only team to have more than 90% success rate of taking catches in slip cordon is New Zealand. The Blackcaps are the finalists of the ICC WTC tournament.
One of the top reasons behind their success has been their fielding. The fact that they take 9.1 out of 10 catches in the slip cordon shows why they have been so successful.
