Joe Root equals unwanted record after England’s crushing loss to New Zealand Cricket News:
Joe Root’s remarkable performances with the bat continued at The Oval, but England’s crushing loss to New Zealand also saw the former captain add another unwanted entry to his record book.Having recently crossed 14,000 Test runs and become the first batter to score 2,000 Test runs against New Zealand, Root now finds himself level with former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming for the second most defeats as a Test skipper. England’s 253-run defeat at The Oval was the 27th defeat of Root’s captaincy career, leaving him behind only South Africa’s Graeme Smith, who suffered 29 defeats. However, the numbers become even more striking when viewed through the lens of loss percentage. Root managed 27 losses in just 66 Tests as captain, giving him a loss rate of 40.91 per cent. Fleming’s 27 losses came in 80 Tests for a loss percentage of 33.75 percent, while Smith captained South Africa in 109 Tests and finished with a lower loss rate of 26.61 percent despite holding the record for the most losses.Most of the matches were lost as Test captain
| Rank: | Players: | Teams: | Career Span as Captain: | Trials Captain | Lost: | loss % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1: | Graeme Smith | South Africa and ICC | 2003-2014 | 109: | 29:00 | 26.61% |
| 2: | Stephen Fleming | New Zealand | 1997–2006 | 80: | 27:00 | 33.75% |
| 2: | Joe Root: | England: | 2017-2026 | 66: | 27:00 | 40.91% |
| 3: | Brian Lara: | West Indies | 1998–2006 | 47: | 26:00 | 55.32% |
| 4: | Allan Border | Australia: | 1984–1994 | 93: | 22:00 | 23.66% |
| 4: | Craig Brathwaite | West Indies | 2017-2025 | 39: | 22:00 | 56.41% |
| 4: | Alastair Cook | England: | 2012-2016 | 59: | 22:00 | 37.29% |
| 5:00 | Mike Atherton | England: | 1993–2001 | 54: | 21:00 | 38.89% |
| 5:00 | Jason Holder: | West Indies | 2015-2020 | 37: | 21:00 | 56.76% |
| 6:00 | Misbah-ul-Haq | Pakistan: | 2011-2017 | 56: | 19:00 | 33.93% |
Root resigned as England Test captain in April 2022 after a difficult period in charge. But he returned to the role for the second Test against New Zealand after regular skipper Ben Stokes was suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for breaking the team’s midnight curfew and being involved in a drunken brawl at a nightclub.The ECB’s decision to return the captaincy to Root instead of vice-captain Harry Brook became understandable as England’s selection issues unfolded. Along with Stokes, fast bowler Gus Atkinson was unavailable after also being involved in the nightclub incident, while Ollie Robinson missed the game due to injury.Those losses forced England to field three debutants in one face in favor of a more experienced side, and New Zealand took advantage of the opportunity.The visitors posted 391 in the first innings before England’s bowling to take a lead of 100 runs. New Zealand then piled on another 361 in the second innings to set England a huge target of 463.Any hope of an improbable pursuit quickly vanished on the fifth morning. England returned to 182/5 but lost their remaining five wickets in just 48 minutes as Matt Henry ran down the lower order.Henry finished with staggering figures of 6-29 in the second innings and 11-109 in the match, recording his first ten wicket haul in Test cricket and the best match figures by a New Zealand bowler against England. England were eventually bowled out for 209, giving New Zealand a commanding 253-run victory and leveling the series ahead of the Nottingham decider.Root was England’s last great hope the previous morning but added just two runs to his overnight score before Henry trapped him lbw on 77, effectively ending the hosts’ resistance.Although Root is now level with Fleming on 27 defeats, his loss percentage of 40.91 per cent is significantly higher than Fleming’s and Smith’s, underlining why his captaincy record remains one of the most scrutinized of modern Test leaders.
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