England’s star batter Joe Root has etched his name into cricket history by equalling Rahul Dravid’s record for the most catches in Test cricket by a non-wicketkeeper. Root achieved the feat during the ongoing Test match against India, taking his 210th catch by dismissing Shardul Thakur at first slip.
This milestone puts Root level with Indian legend Rahul Dravid, who also took 210 catches but in 301 innings, compared to Root’s 293 innings, making him the fastest to reach the mark among non-keepers.
🏏 Most Catches by a Fielder in Test Cricket:
-
210 – Joe Root* (293 innings)
-
210 – Rahul Dravid (301 innings)
-
205 – Mahela Jayawardene (270 innings)
-
200 – Jacques Kallis (315 innings)
-
200 – Steve Smith (223 innings)
Heading into the match at Headingley, Root had 208 Test catches. He caught KL Rahul in the first innings and Shardul Thakur in the second to level with Dravid.
READ MORE:
Oil Prices Drop Over 4% as Iran Strikes US Base but Avoids Disrupting Hormuz Traffic
The England veteran is already the nation’s most successful fielder across all formats, with 316 career catches, comfortably ahead of Paul Collingwood’s 219.
Root is also closing in on another major Test record — surpassing Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid on the all-time Test run-scorers list. He now stands at 13,034 runs* in 154 Tests. Root needs just 91 more runs to overtake Dravid and 345 to surpass Ponting.
🏏 Top Five Run-Scorers in Test History:
-
Sachin Tendulkar – 15,921
-
Ricky Ponting – 13,378
-
Jacques Kallis – 13,289
-
Rahul Dravid – 13,288
-
Joe Root – 13,034*
In the ongoing Test, India set England a 371-run target, powered by centuries from Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. England ended Day 4 at 21-0, needing 350 runs more on the final day.
