England’s talismanic batter Joe Root etched his name into the record books at Headingley by drawing level with India’s former maestro Rahul Dravid for the most outfield catches in Test cricket history.
On the fourth day of the opening Test of the five-match series between England and India, Root showcased his safe pair of hands by pouching Shardul Thakur’s thick outside edge off the bowling of Josh Tongue. The catch marked Root’s 210th in the outfield, equalling Dravid’s long-standing record.
While Dravid reached the milestone in 164 Tests, Joe Root has matched it in just 154 matches, underlining his consistency and athleticism in the field. Trailing the duo is Sri Lankan great Mahela Jayawardene, who secured 205 outfield catches across 149 Tests.
Despite his fielding brilliance, Root, 34, is yet to make a telling impact with the bat in the series opener. In the first innings, he looked composed and in control with his elegant strokeplay before being undone once again by Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian pacer induced an outside edge, taken safely by Karun Nair, marking Bumrah’s tenth dismissal of Root in Test cricket. Root returned to the pavilion with a composed yet modest 28 off 58 balls.
India, having been bowled out for 364 in their second innings, have set a daunting target of 371 runs for the hosts. At stumps on Day Four, England’s openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett remained unbeaten, putting up a cautious stand to finish the day without loss and keeping the chase alive.
In contrast to their typical aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach, Crawley and Duckett adopted a more restrained and methodical strategy, valuing their wickets and choosing scoring opportunities judiciously. Crawley, in particular, provided momentum with back-to-back boundaries off Mohammed Siraj, giving England a positive finish to the day’s play.
With 350 runs still required and all ten wickets intact, the stage is set for a thrilling final day at Headingley as England chase what would be a remarkable victory.
