After shining bright with the bat, Joe Root created history with his fielding on Day 2 of the ongoing third Test between India and England at Lord's. The accomplished fielder surpassed the record for the most catches (11) taken by an outfielder in Test cricket, moving ahead of India's legend Rahul Dravid.
Previously, Rahul Dravid held the record with a total of 210 catches in Test matches. Joe Root exceeded this mark when he successfully grabbed Karun Nair's catch at first slip when the Indian batter was batting on 40 runs at the time.
Apart from Dravid and Root, only three other fielders have managed to take 200 or more catches in the long history of Test cricket. These distinguished players include Mahela Jayawardene, Steve Smith, and Jacques Kallis, all renowned for their exceptional fielding abilities.
Most catches in Tests (non-wicketkeepers):
Joe Root (ENG) - 211 catches
Rahul Dravid (IND) - 210
Mahela Jayawardene (SL) - 205
Steve Smith (AUS) - 200
Jacques Kallis (SA) - 200
Root had equaled Dravid's record for most outfield catches during the first Test match played at Headingley, Leeds. He achieved this milestone by catching Shardul Thakur off an outside edge induced by the bowling of Josh Tongue. After going without a catch in the entire second Test match in Birmingham, Root finally surpassed the Indian legend with an exceptional grab during the ongoing third Test. Interestingly, earlier on the same day (Day 2 of the third Test), Root had also overtaken Dravid in the list of most centuries scored in Test cricket. By scoring his 37th Test century, Root moved ahead of both Dravid and Steve Smith, who each have 36 centuries to their names. This achievement propelled him into the top five of leading centurions in Test match history.
In that innings, Root played a brilliant knock of 104 runs off 199 deliveries, including ten boundaries, before being clean bowled by a superb delivery from Jasprit Bumrah that shattered his middle stump. His century, coupled with half-centuries from Jamie Smith (51) and Brydon Carse (56), helped England post a competitive first-innings score of 387 runs. In response, India had reached a score of 74 for 2 after the dismissal of Karun Nair, who was caught by Root for 40 runs.