Joe Root equals Dravid's record for most catches in Tests
What's the story
England's Joe Root has equaled Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid's record for the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in Test matches. The record was set at 210 catches, a milestone Root achieved during the ongoing Headingley Test against India on Day 4. He took his 210th catch while dismissing Shardul Thakur off Josh Tongue's bowling. Here are further details.
Record comparison
Root matches Dravid's record in fewer innings
Dravid, who played 164 matches for India and ICC over a 16-year career, took his 210 catches in 301 innings. In contrast, Root has matched this feat in fewer innings - just 293 - during his tenure as an England player. This gives him a better catch-per-innings ratio than Dravid. Notably, the Headingley game marked Root's 154th presence in Test cricket.
Catch statistics
Root also equaled Alastair Cook's record
In the first innings of the ongoing Leeds Test, Root took one catch (of KL Rahul). The catch of Thakur in the third session of Day 4's play also helped him equal Alastair Cook's record for most catches in India-England Tests. Cook took 38 catches in his 30 Tests against India, while Root has also taken 38 catches but in one more match (31).
WTC rankings
Second-most catches in WTC matches
Root has taken a whopping 102 catches in 65 World Test Championship (WTC) matches for England. This puts him second on the list of most catches taken in WTC history, behind Australia's Steve Smith who has a tally of 104 catches from 53 WTC matches so far. Meanwhile, Root overall has 13,034 Test runs at 50.71 with the help of 36 tons and 65 fifties. He is fifth in terms of most runs in Test cricket history.
Summary
Summary of the Headingley Test
England faced India's strong score of 471/10 in the first innings. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant smoked tons. In response, England finished at 465/10. Though Jasprit Bumrah claimed five wickets, England were powered by Ben Duckett (62), Harry Brook (99), and Ollie Pope (106). Centuries from Rahul and Pant meant England have been set a 371-run target. They finished Day 4 at 21/0.