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June 20 will see India and England face off in Leeds in the first of five Tests. Under new skipper Shubman Gill and without the services of Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma along with Virat Kohli, India face an uphill task against Ben Stokes’ men. Their last Test series win in England was in 2007 and another one is long overdue.

India’s Biggest Threat

One man India will be wary of is none other than England’s premier batter and easily the best Test batter in the world today. Yes, we are speaking of Joe Root. Root needs 373 runs to take the second spot on the list of most Test runs. Currently, he is placed in fifth position and has the most runs by an active player. 2916 runs shall give him the top spot.

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A World Record

But there is another kind of world record that beckons Root in the Leeds Test. This one he can achieve easily though it is not related to his main role in the team. In fact, it has nothing to do with his batting. But it is a record that has been more or less ignored when it comes to Root because the man’s batting is just at a different level.

Shot at Being No. 1

Root currently has 208 catches and is No. 2 in Tests. Rahul Dravid tops the charts with 210. So Root needs just three more to take the No. 1 spot. It could happen in Leeds as there are 20 wickets that India can lose. It is certainly feasible that Root could take three catches in the two innings combined.

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Potential World Records

Root may or may not finish as Test cricket’s highest run-getter but he certainly will end up as the highest catch-taker. Another record he could break during the series is that for most Test 50s. He needs another four to do so. In the long run, Root does have a shot at becoming the top century scorer and playing most matches, he needs 16 tons and 48 games respectively at Test level. He turns 35 this year so it could end up being a race against time.

Bane of India’s Existence

But as far as India is concerned, Root has the top price attached to his wicket. Seeing him off early is the key because if he gets set, he will invariably get a big score which means England will get a huge total. So it would be in India’s best interests to see him off early. India have seen in the past the damage he can inflict. They do not want another experience.

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