When Joe Root was named the captain of the England Test cricket team, it was apparent that the journey was going to be long and tough for the English batter. He was easily the best batsman of the English team since Alastair Cook in the longest format.
Now that the end has come to Root’s captaincy stint, it’s time that we look into his captaincy numbers from all angles.
We have seen before the numbers of Indian captains – Sourav Ganguly’s oversees numbers, MS Dhoni’s longevity, and Virat’s turning down things stuff. This time, it is Joe Root, the most successful captain of the England Test team.
Root tops the record for any England Test captain for most matches and wins. He has led the English side in 64 matches and won 27 times, and his win percentage stands at 42.28 when he announced he no longer wanted to be the captain.
We will look into his numbers analysed based on home/away, opponent-wise, and compared with the other legendary England skippers.
Let’s start with an overall view of his captaincy numbers.
| MATCHES AS CAPTAIN | WON | LOST | DRAW | TIE | WIN% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 27 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 42.28 |
Joe Root Test Captaincy Stats – Home/Away
| HOME/AWAY | MATCHES | WON | LOST | DRAW | WIN% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOME | 31 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 54.84 |
| AWAY | 33 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 30.30 |
England has always been a strong team in their home conditions. But the loss against India, West Indies, and Australia in the Ashes Trophy made Joe Root’s home captaincy numbers look mediocre.
Root’s memorable captaincy stints are winning against India in 2018 and away-series wins in South Africa (2020) and twice in Sri Lanka.
You should check the Ashes head-to-head stats to understand Australia’s recent domination against England in the historical Test series.
Joe Root Test Captaincy Stats – By Opponents
| OPPONENT | MATCHES | WON | LOST | DRAW | WIN% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 15 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 13.33 |
| India | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 46.15 |
| West Indies | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 45.45 |
| South Africa | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75.00 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40.00 |
| Sri Lanka | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
Easily Australia has been the side that England toured and hosted most in the longer format, followed by India in the recent years.
Joe Root’s Captaincy Record in Ashes Series
| SERIES | HOST | MATCHES | WON | LOST | DRAW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ashes 2017-18 | Australia | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| The Ashes 2019 | England | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| The Ashes 2021-22 | Australia | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Even though Root has been the captain with most matches for England, his record against Australia will never find him a spot in the top ten captains with the most wins in Ashes.
Joe Root’s Batting Stats as Test Captain
| As | MATCHES | INNINGS | RUNS | HIGH SCORE | AVERAGE | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | 64 | 118 | 5295 | 228 | 46.44 | 14/26 |
| Non-Captain | 53 | 98 | 4594 | 254 | 52.80 | 11/27 |
Keeping aside the captaincy records, the batting of Joe Root was phenomenal during his captaincy career. Even though there were a few bad phases, his overall average stayed around 46, and the counts of his double century knocks are next only to Virat Kohli during this period.
Especially his stats in the year 2021 was outstanding.
Here are Joe Root’s words after he decided to step down from the captaincy on 15 April 2022:
“After returning from the Caribbean tour (the series which England lost 1-0 to West Indies) and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England Men’s Test Captain,” said Joe Root. “It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me; I know the timing is right.”
“I am immensely proud to have captained my country and will look back on the past five years with enormous pride. It has been an honour to have done the job and to have been a custodian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket.
“I have loved leading my country, but recently it’s hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank my family, Carrie, Alfred and Bella, who have lived it all with me and been incredible pillars of love and support throughout. All of the players, coaches and support staff that have helped me during my tenure. It has been a great privilege to have been with them on this journey.
“I would also like to thank all the England supporters for their unwavering support. We are lucky to have the best fans in the world, and wherever we play, that positivity is something we always cherish and admire, which is a huge drive for all of us out there.
“I am excited to continue representing the Three Lions and producing performances that will enable the team to succeed. I look forward to helping the next Captain, my teammates and coaches in whatever way I can.”
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