World Cup 2019: Top 5 catches of the tournament

CricWiz
Jadeja was absolutely brilliant in the field
Jadeja was absolutely brilliant in the field

England were crowned World Champions as they defeated New Zealand in the final of World Cup 2019. It was a fabulous tournament with some terrific cricket played by all the teams. Apart from some top innings with the bat and fantastic bowling spells, this World Cup will be remembered for the high-quality fielding displayed by the teams.

The fitness levels in international cricket have improved drastically in the past decade and it was visible on the field in this World Cup.

Fielding has become a key component of cricket in the recent past and it is imperative for every international side to have a strong fielding unit. The four teams that made it to semi-finals were the premier fielding teams of the competition. There was also an interesting statistic that showed the number of runs a player has saved over the course of the tournament.

During the World Cup, the fans were treated to some mind-boggling catches. A moment of brilliance in the field can turn a match upside down and it was proved yet again. Here, we take a look at 5 of the best catches taken at World Cup 2019.

#5 Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja was India's super-sub in the tournament. While he found it difficult to get in the playing XI in most parts of the tournament, he did his bit on the field. In the game against England, where English openers were threatening to take the game from the Indians, Jadeja pulled off a miraculous catch at long on.

Running in, Jadeja put in a dive and completed a sensational catch to get rid of Jason Roy. And even though India went on to lose the match, Jadeja's brilliance on the field will be remembered by the fans for a long time.

Also read - World cup all-time records

#4 Jimmy Neesham

Neesham pulled off a stunner to dismiss Karthik
Neesham pulled off a stunner to dismiss Karthik

New Zealand bowlers had a tough task of defending a below-par total against an in-form Indian batting line-up in the crucial semi-final played at Manchester. It was imperative that the Kiwi fielders supported their bowlers.

When India were railing at 24-3, Jimmy Neesham took a blinder at point to pile up further pressure onto India. Moving to his left, which is his wrong side, Neesham grasped the ball with his left hand, just inches off the ground. India lost the close game by 18 runs as New Zealand made it to the finals.

#3 Quinton de Kock

de Kock took a stunner against India
de Kock took a stunner against India

It was a tournament to forget for South Africa. However, the Proteas take a lot of pride in their fielding and Quinton de Kock showed us why. De Kock caught a screamer to dismiss Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

South Africa was defending a modest total and it was extremely important for the Proteas to get Virat Kohli early in the innings. Rabada's pace took the ball away from de Kock after it took an egde off Kohli's bat. Diving to his right, de Kock gulped the ball from thin air. Unfortunately, de Kock's efforts went in vain as Rohit Sharma's ton lead India to a 6-wicket victory.

Also read – Best bowling figures in world cup

#2 Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is a brilliant athlete and he gave a good account of himself by pulling off a stunner on the opening day of the competition. Chasing 312, South Africa were already 6 wickets down when Andile Phehlukwayo sweeped one hard towards Ben Stokes on the boundary.

The ball seemed like it was getting away from Stokes when he leaped into the air running back and took a blinder much to the delight of the home fans. Former England skipper Nasser Hussain, who was on-air, described the catch as "one of greatest catches of all time". Stokes' catch proved to be the final nail in the coffin for South Africa as they were beaten comprehensively by 104 runs.

#1 Sheldon Cottrell

West Indies players aren't renowned for their fielding skills, especially the fast bowlers. And this is why Sheldon Cottrell's catch took the cricketing world by storm. Steve Smith was well settled at the crease and was looking to score quick runs in the final overs when he flicked Oshane Thomas at fine-leg where Cottrell was stationed.

The big fast bowler stuck his left hand out and caught the ball one-handed. However, this wasn't the end of the act. Cottrell threw the ball in the air while running in and out of the boundary only to get back to complete an unbelievable catch, which ended the 73-run knock from a dangerous looking Steve Smith. Australia still managed to reach a score of 288, a target that West Indies fell short of by 15 runs.

Also read – Highest batting average in world cup

Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table

Quick Links

Edited by Sai Teja