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England's talismanic batter Joe Root went level with India's former maestro Rahul Dravid for the most outfield catches in Test cricket following his exploits at Headingley.
On the fourth day of the opening Test between England and India, Root got hold of Shardul Thakur's thick outside edge off Josh Tongue. After successfully getting hold of the opportunity, Root levelled Dravid's tally for the most outfield catches in Test cricket. Root and Dravid boast 210 outfield catches each to occupy the top spot. While Dravid took 164 Tests to accomplish the feat, Root took 10 fewer games to go level with his record (154). The duo is followed by a former Sri Lanka icon, Mahela Jayawardene, with 205 outfield catches in 149 appearances. Root, 34, is yet to deliver an impactful performance with the bat in the opening Test of the five high-stakes series. In the first innings, he exuded calmness with his impeccable strokeplay. In the battle between the world's best, Jasprit Bumrah and Root, the Indian pace spearhead fished out a thick outside edge, which flew straight to Karun Nair, succumbing in the battle for the 10th time. After the 34-year-old returned with 28(58) in his first outing, Root will be waiting with bated breath to get a second crack in the game. After packing their bags on 364 in the final session, India set a target of 371 for the hosts to chase down. England's opening pair, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, weathered the Bumrah storm and ensured the hosts remained unscathed at the end of the fourth day to set up an enthralling final day of the series opener, leaving them 350 runs short of victory. Crawley and Duckett took a step away from the belligerent 'Bazball' style of play and focused on preserving their wicket. The duo didn't engage in a shot that threatened a wicket loss and pushed for runs when the opportunity arose. Crawley creamed Mohammed Siraj for back-to-back boundaries, which allowed England to finish on a high and stay in the race towards a remarkable victory. (ANI)
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