Joe Root created history during the second Test match at Lord’s by taking a brilliant one-handed catch to dismiss Karun Nair. With this catch, Root broke Rahul Dravid’s record for the most outfield catches in men’s Test cricket.
Root now has 211 outfield catches, moving ahead of Indian legend Rahul Dravid, who had 210. This also puts Root at the top of the all-time list, followed by:
- 205 – Mahela Jayawardene
- 200 – Steven Smith
- 200 – Jacques Kallis
- 196 – Ricky Ponting
Safest pair of hands in Test cricket 🙌
Joe Root now leads the pack for the most grabs in the longest format of the game 👏#ENGvIND #WTC27 pic.twitter.com/CFlXYFqtZF
— ICC (@ICC) July 11, 2025
The incredible catch happened when England captain Ben Stokes bowled a clever delivery that made Karun Nair edge the ball. It flew between the wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and Joe Root at first slip. The ball was low and to Root’s wrong side, but he dived left and caught it just inches above the ground with one hand.
Even though it was a tough chance, Root pulled it off. The umpires weren’t sure at first, so they referred it to the third umpire, who confirmed the catch after checking the replays.
Read more: IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Jasprit Bumrah Breaks Kapil Dev’s Record with Five-Wicket Haul at Lord’s
Former England captain Nasser Hussain, who was commentating at the time, praised Root’s catch, saying, “If you’re going to break a world record, you might as well do it in style.”
The wicket was an important one for England as Nair was looking strong on 40 runs in a good partnership with KL Rahul. Earlier in the day, the Lord’s crowd had already celebrated Root’s 37th Test century, which he reached by hitting the first ball of the day for a boundary off Jasprit Bumrah.
It was a special day at Lord’s, especially for Joe Root, who once again proved why he’s one of England’s greatest Test players.
