Joe Root becomes England's most successful Test skipper: Key stats
What's the story
England produced an incredible victory against India at Headingley after losing the Lord's Test. They annihilated Virat Kohli and his troops, handing them an innings defeat this time. With this, Joe Root has become England's most successful captain in Test cricket. This was his 27th win as captain in the format. Root accumulated a heap of records in the Test. We present the same.
Captaincy
Most Test wins by an English captain
Root surpassed Michael Vaughan to become England's most successful Test skipper. The latter had won 26 matches while leading England. Under Root, England have won 27, lost 20, and drawn eight Tests. Root has registered as many as 17 of these wins at home. He is only behind former England skipper Andrew Strauss, who recorded 19 Test wins at home.
Runs
Most runs in a calendar year by an English captain
Root is the leading run-scorer in Test cricket in 2021. He has scored 1,398 runs so far, the most by an England captain in a calendar year. He eclipsed the tally of Cook (1,364 runs in 2015). Only three other captains have scored more Test runs than Root in a calendar year (Graeme Smith: 1,656, Michael Clarke: 1,595, and Ricky Ponting: 1,544).
Tons
Sixth Test ton for Root in 2021
Root smashed his sixth Test century this year. He is only behind Ponting on the list of most Test centuries by a captain in a calendar year (7). Interestingly, no other English captain had struck more than four Test centuries in a single year before Root did so. Root has also registered the joint-most tons by an England player in a calendar year.
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12 Test centuries as captain
Root has now slammed 12 Test centuries as a captain, joint-most by an England player alongside Cook. The former has extended his total tally to 23. He is only behind Cook in terms of Test centuries (33), among English players.
Records
A look at other interesting numbers
Root has become the first-ever player to hit hundreds in three successive Tests twice in a calendar year. He has registered eight Test tons against India (joint-most). Root owns 875 Test runs against India in 2021, the third-most by any player in a calendar year against an opponent. Only Don Bradman (974 vs England, 1930) and Clive Lloyd (903 vs India, 1983) have more.