Photo via Hindustan Times

Nathan Lyon ‘extremely grateful’ for record-setting Steve Smith’s slips catching

Australian batsman Steve Smith cemented his place in Test cricket history by surpassing England’s Joe Root to become the highest catcher of all time, finishing Sunday’s match with a career total of 223 catches. His record-setting performance included four dismissals in a single day at Kingsmead, with standout moments like a diving one-handed catch to remove David Bedingham and an anticipatory grab of Kyle Verreynne’s reverse sweep.

Smith’s precision in the slips—particularly his ability to read batsmen’s intentions—drew praise from teammates and opponents alike, including former South Africa batsman Ashwell Prince, who called his anticipation and execution ‘unbelievable.’

The milestone came during Australia’s first innings lead of 139, as South Africa collapsed to 33/0 in their second innings after being bowled out for 284. Nathan Lyon, whose bowling has frequently led to Smith’s catches (65 in total), highlighted the batter’s brilliance, calling him ‘an incredible thinker of the game’ whose premeditated movements set him apart.

Smith’s dominance in the slips underscored his all-round impact, as he combined defensive mastery with offensive contributions to solidify Australia’s commanding position in the match.

Up nextCricket· 20h ago

Steve Smith breaks Joe Root’s world record for most Test catches with blinders vs South Africa