Joe Root's Test Captaincy Record: Is He An Upgrade Over Ben Stokes?

Joe Root's captaincy record [Source: AFP]

In an unexpected turn of events, England's all-time leading run-scorer, Joe Root, is set to take over the interim captaincy for their next Test against New Zealand, starting on June 17.

The ECB made this decision following the recent nightclub incident involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson. Ben Stokes has not been removed as the full-time captain yet, but Rob Key has announced that he will remain unavailable for selection until the investigation is completed.

In the squad named for the second Test at the Oval, Root is set to lead the team, and Jofra Archer has replaced Gus Atkinson. IPL winner Jordan Cox has taken up Ben Stokes' place in the team.

As Joe Root returns to the captaincy, we take a look at his record during his previous stint in the position.

What is Joe Root's captaincy record in Tests?

(Joe Root's record as Test captain)

Root's first assignment as England's red-ball skipper was during South Africa's tour of England in 2017, when they collided at Lord's. 

He started his tenure with a bang, winning the first Test by 211 runs. He also racked up 190 off 234 with 27 fours and a six in his first innings as captain and subsequently also won the series 2-1.

However, his captaincy tenure did not live up to the mark for many, as England won 42.18 per cent of the games, which was better than his predecessor, Alastair Cook, who won 40.67 per cent of his games.

Joe Root's Batting Record As Captain

(Joe Root's batting stats as England Test captain vs not as the captain)

No other player has scored more runs for England with captaincy or without captaincy. However, as evident in the above data, Root has always thrived without the burden of leading the team.

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During his tenure as the skipper, Root did not necessarily struggle, but there is a significant difference in average. 

He averages 46.44 while being the skipper, which is good for any Test batter, but the best has come without being the captain, i.e., 53.77 average in 182 innings.

Joe Root vs Ben Stokes Test Captaincy Record Comparison

(Joe Root vs Ben Stokes captaincy record comparison)

The above data shows that both Joe Root and Ben Stokes have led England in a substantial number of matches. 

Root did not find any rhythm during his period and also failed to win any of the Ashes series — rather, he faced a 0-4 drubbing in 2017/19, a 2-2 tied series at home in 2019 and yet another 0-4 loss in 2021/22, before England eventually replaced him.

He won the 2018 home series against India by 4-1 but also lost an important tour of India by 3-1 in 2021 to go with the aforementioned losses against the arch-rivals, Australia.

On the other hand, Ben Stokes, alongside Brendon McCullum, have approached Test cricket differently — famously playing Bazball.

While the team has played an entertaining brand and won a few dramatic matches, the overall results have also been lacklustre, considering what they tried to achieve during the time together.

Similar to the series under Root, they tied an Ashes series at home in 2023. Some poor approach and questionable decisions also made the series interesting.

They had a long build-up to the next Ashes in 2025/26 but once again lost the series by 1-4, despite the hype around them.

Against India, they lost a series away from home by 1-4 in 2024, followed by another tied series in 2025.

Conclusion: Is Joe Root's captaincy an upgrade over Ben Stokes?

Over the past decade, the majority of England's Tests have been captained by Joe Root and Ben Stokes. During this time, the English have failed to win an away tour of India or Australia, despite getting enough opportunities.

Considering their away records against the two biggest opponents, there is nothing that separates Root and Stokes. The former has a slight advantage over Stokes, considering the home series win over India in 2018.

Overall, Root is not a clear upgrade over Stokes as the captain. He tends to succumb to the captaincy pressure as a batter and is inconsistent with the results. His best as a batter over the past few years has come under Stokes, which means both Stokes and Root complement each other well when Stokes is leading the team.

As a leader, Stokes has time and again shown his abilities to lead from the front and his presence on the field, which is intangible, is better than Root's. All in all, Root's interim appointment as captain is not an upgrade over Stokes.

Having taken a lead in the ongoing series against New Zealand, it would be interesting to see how the sudden captaincy change and the off-field issues play a role in the second Test and subsequently the series, especially after their big loss in the recent Ashes series.

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