All-time top five caught-and-bowled experts in Test cricket

There are numerous ways of getting a batsman out in the game of cricket, some of them quirky, but most require the perfect combination of precision and talent. One such way of dismissal is the caught & bowled that involves the sole excellence of the successful bowler.

Cricket enthusiasts need no introduction to the dismissal and they often provide moments of breathtaking agility. Only few men have mastered it over the years to do it regularly, a feat that involves both tight bowling and sharp reflexes.

Here we list the all-time top five men who’ve completed most caught&bowled dismissals in the history of Test cricket. The list includes some of the greatest spinners (it only features spinners!) ever to have played the game, like Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, proving that when it comes to this form of dismissal, slow bowlers have the upper hand.

---

#5 Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood.

Back in the '70s, England had some of the finest Test cricketers at their disposal, one such player was Derek Underwood. The legendary English bowler had an unorthodox bowling style and many visiting batsmen found playing him extremely hard due to his out-of-the-box tricks. Though often classified as a left-arm spinner, Underwood could also extract swing and seam with his quick action, a fact that made him lethal in English conditions.

Underwood made good use of the English conditions which yielded him a good number of 297 wickets in his Test career and he was considered one of the best contemporary bowlers in Test cricket.

He got 20 of his wickets via caught & bowled mode of dismissal which places him on the number five position on this list. The English national team of the 60s and 70s thrived with Derek Underwood in their side.

#4 Shane Warne

Shane Warne.

The Australian leggie is often ranked amongst the finest cricketers of all time. Shane Warne was a nightmare for batsmen and it won't be wrong to say that facing Warne on a spinning track was a severely frightening prospect for any batsman in the world. Warne was a leg-spinner in the classical mold, flighting it up to the bat before spinning it prodigiously.

He is also credited to have bowled the ball of the century, when he castled Mike Gatting with a delivery that pitched outside his leg before spinning away to knock out his stumps.

He had the ability to trick his opponent with his class and guile and it was his sheer dedication that made him prosper in what was a remarkable period for Cricket Australia.

Warne with 708 wickets to his name was a prolific wicket-taker. Of his 708 victims, 21 came via C&B. Anything thrown his way was grabbed and his tally of 21 caught & bowled and he was an expert fielder as well, especially dexterous in the slips.

#3 Daniel Vettori

Daniel Vettori.

The former New Zealand skipper takes his place on this list courtesy the 21 dismissals he achieved through C&B. Daniel Vettori played 113 Tests for New Zealand in which he took 362 wickets, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for the Black Caps in Test cricket.

Vettori was an efficient bowler who also helped those around him thrive. He was a premier spinner from a country not known to raise too many quality due to the fast pitches over there, but managed to defy the odds in becoming one of the finest spinners of his generation. His precision and composure were of great help to the Kiwis! He was also one of New Zealand's finest captains and a handy lower middle-order batsman.

Vettori was also exceptional in the field. He inflicted 21 caught&bowled dismissals in his Test career which places him high on this illustrious list.

#2 Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan.

Sri Lanka has produced some great bowlers in their relatively-small cricket history and Muttiah Muralitharan is the finest of them all and is possibly the finest spinner to have played the game. The spin wizard is arguably the greatest spinner of all-time and it won't be wrong to say that on his day, Muttiah Muralitharan could turn the game on its head courtesy of his supreme dexterity.

Muralitharan rattled many batsmen with his masterclass and when a few of them managed hit back at him then he obliged them with open and safe hands. What made Muralitharan truly special was the grit that made him keep going until he got what he wanted which is why he ranks on top of the all-time wicket-taker charts with 800 Test wickets to his name.

Of those 800 victims, 35 came via C&B and thus the great Muttiah Muralitharan deservingly takes his spot on this list.

#1 Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble.

Anil Kumble takes the numero uno position on this list with 35 C&B dismissals to his name. The Indian spin legend owns a plethora of records and this one just adds to the mighty long list. Kumble was a smart cricketer and knew how to get the best out any pitch. Often remembered as an aggressive spinner, Kumble wasn't a man of many words but he surely made the ball talk.

The unconventional leggie and former India captain- who began as a fast bowler- took 619 wickets in 132 Tests, of which 35 wickets came via caught & bowled dismissals. Ardent fans of Indian cricket still cherish those golden days when Kumble was at the peak of his powers and did wonders with the ball in his hand.

This record adds yet another feather to Anil Kumble's cap and it won't be wrong to say that 'Jumbo' is the greatest leg-spinner in the history of Indian cricket.

(Stats from howstat.com)