Joe Root has been named England Test captain for a second time, returning to a role in which he won more matches than any other England captain in history but recorded a win percentage that places him sixth among those who have led the side in more than 30 Tests.
Joe Root returns as England Test captain with mixed statistical record
Joe Root has been named England Test captain for a second time, returning to a role in which he won more matches than any other England captain in history but recorded a win percentage that places him sixth among those who have led the side in more than 30 Tests.
Root's overall captaincy record shows equal numbers of wins and losses across his 65 Tests in charge. His record was stronger in his first 47 Tests than Ben Stokes' comparable period, but one win in his final 17 Tests as captain lowered his overall percentage. Among England captains with more than 30 Tests, Root ranks behind Mike Brearley, Stokes, Michael Vaughan, Peter May, and Andrew Strauss on win percentage.
Against Australia and India specifically, Root's record is weaker still. He won 29% of his Tests against those two sides, ranking 10th among England captains measured on that criterion. Stokes won 35%, Sir Alastair Cook 38%, and Brearley 57% against the same opponents. Brearley, who captained England between 1977 and 1981, holds the best captaincy record against Australia and India of any England captain, narrowly ahead of West Indies captain Sir Clive Lloyd, who won 22 of his 42 matches in charge.
In terms of playing style, England's run-rate under Root was 3.16 per over, with the team playing an attacking shot 23% of the time across his 65 Tests. Under Stokes, England's run-rate was 4.40 and attacking shots accounted for 42% of deliveries. England averaged 29 runs per wicket lost under Root, compared with 34 under Stokes and 40 under Andrew Strauss, during whose tenure England rose to number one in the world rankings. England lost a wicket every 54.9 balls under Root, compared with every 46.3 balls under Stokes and every 69.5 balls under Strauss. Among England captains since 2006, only teams led by Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen had lower run-rates and played fewer attacking shots than Root's sides.
The source notes caveats in the batting data, including that Dom Sibley, who played 21 Tests under Root, had a strike-rate of 34.48, and that Root himself had the best strike-rate of all batters during his own captaincy, a figure that rose further under Stokes.
In the field, Root's teams averaged a wicket every 50 balls, a dismissal rate bettered only by sides led by Ollie Pope among England captains measured. England's catch success rate under Root was 76%, behind Stokes' teams at 80% and Cook's at 78%, with Pope's teams at 74%. Root used pace bowlers heavily in home Tests, ranking alongside Pietersen and Flintoff in that regard, while his use of spin at home fell from 24% of balls bowled in 2017 to 14% in 2021. Root will not have James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, or Stokes available as bowling options this time.
Root averages almost 47 with the bat in Tests in which he has captained, compared with 53 when not in charge. Since stepping down the first time, his average has risen to 54. He scored 153 against West Indies in Barbados in what the source describes as his penultimate Test as captain the first time around. He enters the Pakistan series 1,807 runs short of Sachin Tendulkar's all-time Test record of 15,921 runs.
In his first interview after being named captain, Root said: 'The last four years have been the most fun I've had in professional cricket and a big part of that was down to the way they [McCullum and Stokes] got me to see the game. I've taken a lot from that and I feel it will be a big part of how I want to approach things moving forward as a leader of this team. The thing that stands out the most for me is the shift in mindset that was created around how we want to play the game - trying to strip the fear away from things, make sure guys feel that they can really just allow their talent to come out as frequently as possible and in big moments in games.'
- The source does not state which specific matches or series constitute Root's one win in his final 17 Tests as captain.
- The source does not identify which captains rank first through ninth against Australia and India, listing only selected names.
- The source does not state when the Pakistan series is scheduled or provide dates for the South Africa and Bangladesh tours.
- The source does not state the basis on which 'attacking shot' is defined or measured in the statistical comparisons.
- The source does not name or quote Brendon McCullum or Ben Stokes in relation to Root's reappointment.
- The source does not state who appointed Root or the date on which the appointment was confirmed.
- The source text supplied appears truncated; some material may be missing.