5 best Australian slip catchers of all time

From classical batsmen to dynamic craftsmen and menacing fast bowlers to magical spinners, Australia have produced a plethora of great cricketers. Across both Tests and ODIs, they have set the standard for unparalleled dominance. The peripheral reason behind their supremacy in the game stems from their penchant to unearth a factory line of world-class cricketers on a regular basis.

Apart from the two premier departments of the game, fielding has also been an integral part of Australian cricket legacy. In particular, their slip catching is usually on the highest quality. Let us now take a look at five of the best slip catchers produced by the cricketing superpower. While emphasis has been placed on Tests, exceptional catching in the cordon in ODIs have also been factored into account.

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#5 Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell (second from left) possessed an immaculate catching technique

Following in the wake of elder brother Ian, Greg Chappell established himself as a key figure in Australian cricket during the 1970s and early 1980s. Aside from his majestic prowess with the bat, he was also a reliable fielder in the slip cordon. Much like his technically driven batting, his approach to catching was built on an unwavering adherence to the fundamentals.

From 87 Tests, Greg Chappell effected 122 catches. Only five Australian cricketers have pouched more catches in the history of Test cricket. His catch-per-innings ratio of 0.739 stacks favourably with the most prolific fielders of all time. He also grabbed 23 catches from 74 ODIs.

#4 Allan Border

Allan Border picked 156 catches from as many Test matches

Even though more gifted batsmen and better tactical skippers have emerged before and after him, Allan Border still commands palpable reverence in Australian cricket circles. In addition to being an unrelenting leader, he was also a tenacious batsmen capable of pulling his team out of treacherous positions. Perhaps, steadfast slip catching has been a lesser appreciated facet of his enduring legacy.

Border played a whopping 156 Tests and picked 156 catches. While his catch-per-innings ratio of 0.563 may appear relatively underwhelming, the left-hander's ability to pull off spectacular catches from thin air often left onlookers in amazement. His sprawling effort from second slip to dismiss New Zealand's John Reid during the 1985 Gabba Test is one of the best ever in the cordon. Fielding across a wide variety of positions, he also pouched 127 catches from 273 ODIs.

#3 Bob Simpson

Bob Simpson pulled off many astonishing catches with consummate ease

With his no-nonsense approach to the game, Bob Simpson was the prototype tough-as-nails Australian cricketer. An epitome of concentration at the batting crease, he was an important part of the lineup during the 1960s. He extended the virtue of patience to the art of catching as well. It can be argued that there was no better fielder in the cordon during his time.

Simpson was a safe catcher off Alan Davidson's sharp swing as well as Richie Benaud's prodigious spin. From 62 Tests, he grabbed 110 catches. Among all fielders with at least 100 catches, his catch-per-innings ratio of 0.940 is comfortably the best in Test history. Ian Chappell rates him as the greatest slip fielder that he has ever seen. And he has seen plenty of dependable catchers in his lifetime.

#2 Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor's slip catching was equally splendid off both pace and spin

With his distinct tactical nous, Mark Taylor's captaincy stint served as the edifying link between the Allan Border era and Steve Waugh's dominant outfit. The southpaw's prowess against the new ball and smart man-management skills formed the cornerstone of his game. However, his secure catching in the slip cordon also bolstered the team's fortunes at the global arena.

Adopting the archetypal narrow stance, Taylor defied a rather stocky frame to remain in prime position to gobble almost every opportunity at first slip. He took a leaf out of his batting technique and turned himself into an acute judge of lateral movement behind the stumps. From 104 Tests, he took 157 catches. A catch-per-innings ratio of 0.796 stands as reflection of his impressive consistency. The left-hander also effected 56 catches from 113 ODIs.

#1 Mark Waugh

Mark Waugh is unarguably the best slip catcher in the history of cricket

Much like his mellifluous array of shots on either side of the wicket, Mark Waugh cut an elegant figure on every inch of the turf. When he was not making splendid saves in the latter phases of ODI cricket, the all-rounder was truly at home in the slip cordon. While 244 ODIs fetched him 108 catches, his Test record makes for even more remarkable reading. From 128 Tests, he snaffled as many as 181 catches. The vast majority of those came behind the stumps.

Mark Waugh held the all time Test record for most catches until Rahul Dravid went past his tally in 2009. Thus far, the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting have also bettered his mark. While they appear to claim an edge on the guise of statistics, none of them could match Waugh's grace and awareness in the slip cordon. The Australian was simply better than the best.

Be it grabbing succinct edges off Glenn McGrath or sharp chances off Shane Warne, Mark Waugh pouched them in a seemingly nonchalant manner. The ease with which he converted even half-chances into decisive catches earned him numerous admirers across the globe. A catch-per-innings ratio of 0.738 vindicates his fielding legacy in Test cricket.