6 best one-handed catches in ODI cricket 

Ever since the days of Jonty Rhodes, no good team can afford to take fielding for granted as it is considered as one of the most important areas in modern cricket.

In fact, ‘catches win matches’ is an old adage but cricketers nowadays have turned catching into an art. How many times have we seen fielders pull off one-handed stunners that you don’t bother watching again and again?

Let us look at 6 best one-handed catches in ODI history. Juggling efforts on the boundary have been excluded and only clean, one-handed catches have been considered for selection.

#6 Rahul Dravid against Pakistan (Brisbane, 2000)

In sports, players often become the victims of perceptions. Rahul Dravid, for instance, is considered to be the 'Wall', a batsman with an unbreakable defence and classical technique. But brilliance on the field is something you don’t associate with him as he was considered to be a slow fielder.

But very few fans remember that he took one of the best ever one handed catches in cricket history against Pakistan at the Gabba back in January 2000. It was a tri-nation tournament featuring India, Pakistan and Australia, and in that match, Pakistan were set a low target of 196 by India.

Though India eventually lost the match, Pakistan did not have it easy as they were eight down in the end. And it was Dravid’s catch of Srinath’s bowling that truly stands out.

Srinath’s short ball was pulled forcefully by Moin Khan and Dravid, who was fielding at square-leg, dived to his right to take an incredible one-handed catch.

#5 Dwayne Leverock (Port of Spain, 2007)

Dwayne Leverock

Over the years, some of the Affiliate and Associate ICC members, though considered to be minnows, have given us some great moments. One such moment was the stunning one-handed catch pulled off by the Bermuda cricketer Dwayne Leverock during the 2007 World Cup.

A policeman by profession who also drove a police prison van, Leverock was the largest player on a cricket pitch, weighing a staggering 20 stone (280 pounds or 127 kg). It was his catch off the bowling of Malachi Jones and the wild celebrations that followed which caught the imagination of the cricketing world.

Diving away to his right, he completed a one-handed stunner to dismiss India’s Robin Uthappa. Unfortunately, India piled on the runs, scoring 413 and winning quite easily in the end.

#4 Daniel Vettori (Wellington, 2015)

Daniel Vettori

Daniel Vettori is remembered as one of the greatest spinners to have played the game. Playing the World Cup 2015 at the fag end of his career was a dream for him and he put in some great performances which included athletic catches as well.

One of his most magical catches came during the all-important quarter-final match against the West Indies at Wellington. The Kiwis had posted a mammoth 393 for 6 and the West Indies, in response, were on the charge.

In the 10th over, off Trent Boult’s bowling, Marlon Samuels backed away and played an upper cut towards the third man region. The ball seemed to be sailing over for a six until Vettori leapt and plucked the ball out of the thin air.

The catch can be viewed here.

#3 Paul Collingwood (Bristol, 2005)

Paul Collingwood

England all-rounder Paul Collingwood took a one-handed stunner during an ODI against Australia during the tri-nation NatWest Series in 2005 featuring England, Australia and Bangladesh.

In the 16th over, Matthew Hayden played an upper cut over point off the bowling of Steven Harmison. The ball seemed to be flying towards the boundary until Collingwood lept, flew through the air, and bent his body backwards to complete the stunning catch.

Australia could manage to score only 252 in that match which England ultimately chased down in the end. But Collingwood’s catch stood out and is remembered till date as one of the best ever in ODI cricket.

#2 Yuvraj Singh (Colombo, 2002)

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh made the backward point region his very own after his debut and was widely considered to be the successor of Jonty Rhodes. During his career, he took some magical catches in that region and turned matches on their head.

One such good example was the semi-final against South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy, 2002 where he took two magical catches and turned the game in favour of India. The first of those was a typical Yuvraj Singh special, leaping away dismiss Graeme Smith off Zaheer Khan’s bowling.

The second one was more special perhaps because of the timing of it. South Africa were 194 for 1 off the 39th over, needing 68 runs off 71 balls to win when Jonty Rhodes mistimed a sweep off Harbhajan Singh to get a top edge.

Yuvraj, who was fielding at short fine-leg, dashed across like a panther and dived to take a splendid one-handed catch to send back Rhodes. That triggered a collapse as South Africa lost 6 wickets and fell short of the Indian total by 10 runs in the end.

#1 Jonty Rhodes (Johannesburg, 2002; Mumbai, 1993)

Jonty Rhodes

Can there ever be a list of the best catches in ODI history that does not feature Jonty Rhodes? During an ODI against South Africa in 2002, Mathew Hayden played a cut shot off the bowling of Jacques Kallis.

But Jonty Rhodes, who was manoeuvring the point region, flung himself in the air to take a one-handed stunner. Among many of Rhodes’s brilliant catches, this one does stand out indeed.

It is the second catch in the video compilation down below:

But with Rhodes, one can never mention just one catch. Who can forget Rhodes getting the Man of the Match award for fielding against the West Indies at the Brabourne Stadium in 1993?

Of the seven catches he took that day, the ones to dismiss Phil Simmons and Anderson Cummins were one-handed screamers. You can view all the catches taken by Rhodes in that match here.