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Joe Root vs Steve Smith: Who is the Best in Test Cricket?

The hunger to score runs has made both Joe Root and Steve Smith a living legend in the longest and the purest format of the game.

Jul 12, 2022, 8:25 AM4 min read

Australia's Steve Smith and England's Joe Root are two of the greatest batters to have graced Test cricket. Steve Smith is an unorthodox batter, he is often hailed as the best test batsman after Sir Don Bradman.

Meanwhile, Root has the competence to become the highest run-scorer in Test cricket. He is currently in the form of his life. Recently Joe Root relinquished the Test captaincy. Both have had stupendous careers since they arrived in red-ball cricket.

Also Read: Joe Root vs Sachin Tendulkar: Who is ahead after 119 Test matches? Full analysis

Both Steve Smith and Joe Root are among the rare breed of cricketers. The hunger to score runs has made them a living legend in the longest and the purest format of the game. The contest between these duo is becoming interesting day by day. Let's compare their stats and records below to know who is the best.

Stats of Joe Root and Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Joe Root vs Steve Smith: Who is the Best in Test Cricket | SportrzPoint.com
Steve Smith
Image - The Cricket lounge

Steve Smith has slammed 8161 runs in 87 Tests. He has a monstrous average of 60.01 in Test cricket. At home, he has scored 3901 runs at an average of 62.91. That includes 14 hundred and 16 fifties. In away conditions, he has aggregated 3986 runs in 40 Tests, averaging a stellar 59.92. He has 14 hundred and 17 fifties in the overseas tests. He has 274 runs from four Tests across neutral venues.

Joe Root

Joe Root vs Steve Smith: Who is the Best in Test Cricket | SportrzPoint.com
Joe Root
Image - The Guardian

Read Also: WTC 2021-23: Records and Stats of the season so far

Joe Root has scored 5135 runs in Test cricket at home. He averages 52.93, he has 15 centuries and 25 fifties at home. He is the highest to score six Test tons against India at home. His away-from-home stats are also staggering, with smashing 11 test tons and 25 fifties he has scored 4593 runs in overseas tests at an average of 45.93. He has hammered four centuries versus the west indies. At a neutral venue, he has 287 runs with three fifties.

Also Read: Test Cricket Records: Players to get out on 199

Records in the Ashes

Smith has smashed 3044 runs across 32 tests in the Ashes. He has smacked 11 centuries and as many half-centuries. He stamped his best score (239) in Perth in 2017-18.

Root, on the other hand, has stacked up 2,016 runs in 29 matches. He averages a modest 38.76, compared to Smith's 59.68. He has three centuries to go along with 16 fifties.

Performance as a Captain in Tests

Joe Root vs Steve Smith: Who is the Best in Test Cricket | SportrzPoint.com
Image - NDTV Sports

Joe Root led England in 64 tests out of which he won 27, lost 26, and 11 draws. He amassed a total of 5,295 runs as skipper, averaging 46.45. He hammered 14 tons and 26 fifties. Recently Joe Root relinquished himself from test captaincy.

Smith captained Australia across 35 Tests out of which he won 19 tests, lost 10, and 6 were drawn. He aggregated 3,758 runs while averaging a jaw-dropping 69.59. He clocked 15 tons and 14 fifties. After the sandpaper incident, he was suspended as a captain and also as a player due to which he lost his captaincy.

Read Also: Happy Birthday Dhoni: Everything the Jersey no. 7 has achieved in his cricketing career

Performance in ICC World Test Championship 2021-23

Joe Root is the first batter to surpass 1500 Test runs in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle. He has 1744 runs at 64.59. Root has amassed eight tons and five fifties in the ongoing WTC cycle. Meanwhile, Steve Smith, on the other hand, has scored 621 runs at 44.35. He has recorded only one century and five fifties in 15 Test innings.

Who is the bigger Match-Winner in away conditions?

Joe Root vs Steve Smith: Who is the Best in Test Cricket | SportrzPoint.com
Image - DNA India

Joe Root has scored 1724 runs in 14 away test wins. He has a sensational average of 71.83. He has seven hundred and four fifties under his belt.

Smith's numbers in the away test are mind-boggling, he is ahead of Root by significant margins. He has scored 2140 runs in 14 away wins. He averages a breathtaking 101.90 with nine hundred and nine fifties. Also, interestingly he has 5 test tons in England.

Also Read: Test Cricket Records: Youngest to reach 10,000 Test runs

So, according to these stats and comparisons, both of them has a different type of records underneath their name. They have achieved a lot in the longest format of the game and will continue to do so. Among the duo of Root and Smith, who is your favorite? Let us know in the comments and follow SportzPoint for more like this.

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'Needs a PR team': 15 players debuted, still no chance for Abhimanyu Easwaran

Since Abhimanyu Easwaran’s maiden India Test call-up, a total of 15 players have played a Test match for India with Anshul Kamboj being the latest one to join the list.

Jul 24, 2025, 12:18 PM3 min read

'Needs a PR team': 15 players debuted, still no chance for Abhimanyu Easwaran

After Karun Nair's continuous flops, he was dropped from the playing XI in the ENG vs IND fourth Test match at Old Trafford. Everyone was hoping that if Karun sits on the bench, Abhimanyu Easwaran's years-long wait for a Test debut will end.

But captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir had decided something else. Sai Sudharsan was given a chance again at the Old Trafford ground and Abhimanyu remained sitting on the bench. He has been with the Indian Test team since 2021-22, but his dream of entering the field wearing Team India's jersey has not yet been realised.

Also Read: ENG vs IND 4th Test: Rishabh Pant to available for batting; Jurel will do wicketkeeping

15 players made their debut before him

'Needs a PR team': 15 players debuted, still no chance for Abhimanyu Easwaran

Abhimanyu Easwaran has been coming to the squad for the last 4 years and returns home after giving water. Abhimanyu has spent a lot of time in the dressing room, but his dream of playing in Team India's jersey remains just a dream.

Since Abhimanyu's arrival in the Indian team, 15 players have made their Test debut, which also includes young players like Suryakumar Yadav, Rajat Patidar, Ishan Kishan with Anshul Kamboj being the latest one to join the list on Wednesday in Manchester, but his wait is still on. 

But despite constantly proving his ability in domestic cricket, Abhimanyu just keeps resting on the bench. In first class cricket, Abhimanyu has 27 centuries to his name and he has also scored 7,841 runs. 31 fifties have also come from his bat.

Players who perform well in domestic cricket deserve a chance

Some time ago, a big debate broke out regarding domestic cricket. Everyone talked about giving importance to domestic cricket. Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir himself says that players who perform well in domestic cricket deserve a chance.

But the truth is something else. Coach is not able to do justice to Abhimanyu while sitting in the dressing room. If a batsman remains on the bench for four years despite having around 8 thousand runs and 27 centuries, then what is the use of showing his ability in domestic cricket.

Abhimanyu is far ahead of Sudharsan

'Needs a PR team': 15 players debuted, still no chance for Abhimanyu Easwaran

You have seen the statistics of Abhimanyu Easwaran, now let us tell you about the domestic record of Sai Sudharsan. Sudarshan has played a total of 30 first class matches so far, in which he has scored 1987 runs at an average of 36.

On the other hand, Abhimanyu's batting average is 54 despite playing 103 matches. Sudharsan has been able to score only 7 centuries and 5 half-centuries in 51 innings. From experience to batting record, Abhimanyu is far ahead of Sudharsan.

Sudharsan came into limelight only because of his strong performance in IPL 2025.

Also Read: Can Jurel bat for Rishabh Pant? Former England captain wants 'like for like subs' option for first innings injuries

Players to make Test debut for India before Easwaran

Since Abhimanyu Easwaran's first call-up to the Test side, 15 players have now gone on to make their Test debut for India before him. They are: 

  • K.S Bharat (Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023)
  • Suryakumar Yadav (Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023)
  • Yashasvi Jaiswal (vs West Indies 2023)
  • Ishan Kishan (vs West Indies 2023)
  • Mukesh Kumar (vs West Indies 2023)
  • Prasidh Krishna (vs South Africa 2023)
  • Rajat Patidar (vs England 2024)
  • Sarfaraz Khan (vs England 2024)
  • Dhruv Jurel (vs England 2024)
  • Akash Deep (vs England 2024)
  • Devdutt Padikkal (vs England 2024)
  • Nitish Kumar Reddy (vs Australia 2024)
  • Harshit Rana (vs Australia 2024)
  • Sai Sudharsan (vs England 2025)
  • Anshul Kamboj (vs England 2025)
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ENG vs IND 4th Test: Rishabh Pant to available for batting; Jurel will do wicketkeeping

India vice-captain Rishabh Pant, on Thursday, joined the Indian camp at the Old Trafford ground on Day 2 of the ongoing ENG vs IND fourth Test, a day after he sustained a foot injury.

Jul 24, 2025, 11:29 AM3 min read

ENG vs IND 4th Test: Rishabh Pant to available for batting; Jurel will do wicketkeeping

Indian team's star wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant will be available to bat. However, he will not do wicketkeeping. Dhruv Jurel will take over wicketkeeping in his place. BCCI confirmed this news on Thursday through their X handle.

India vice-captain Rishabh Pant, on Thursday, joined the Indian camp at the Old Trafford ground on Day 2 of the ongoing ENG vs IND fourth Test, a day after he sustained a foot injury. 

Also Read: Can Jurel bat for Rishabh Pant? Former England captain wants 'like for like subs' option for first innings injuries

“Rishabh Pant, who sustained an injury to his right foot on Day 1 of the Manchester Test, will not be performing wicket-keeping duties for the remainder of the match. Dhruv Jurel will assume the role of wicket-keeper. Despite his injury, Rishabh Pant has joined the team on Day 2 and will be available to bat as per team requirements,” BCCI wrote.

However, the board has not said whether he is out of the series or not. Earlier, news agency PTI had informed that Pant is out of the remaining series. 

Pant looked in a lot of pain

ENG vs IND 4th Test: Rishabh Pant to available for batting; Jurel will do wicketkeeping

Pant was batting on 37 runs in the first innings when the ball hit his foot while attempting a reverse sweep. In the 68th over of the Indian innings, a ball from Chris Woakes hit his right leg. After this, he lay down on the ground and looked in a lot of pain.

Even when the physio arrived, he was seen groaning in pain. Then an attempt was made to lift him up and take him away, but he could not walk. Then he was taken to the ambulance. Blood was seen oozing from Pant's right leg, and there was a lot of swelling in that part of the body.

Post stumps, Pant was taken for scans, which confirmed a toe fracture.

“Yes, Rishabh Pant is ruled out of the series. He went for scans last night, and the reports have revealed a toe fracture. There is just no chance of him batting as he is in a lot of pain right now.” Source said.

Jurel to keep the wickets

ENG vs IND 4th Test: Rishabh Pant to available for batting; Jurel will do wicketkeeping

The board may also ask KL Rahul to keep wickets, but he has not performed this responsibility since the South Africa tour in the 2023-24 season. The team's other wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel was not included in the playing XI for the fourth Test match.

Also Read: ENG vs IND 4th Test: 14 times in a row, Team India loses toss again, the odds of that are apparently 16,384-1

This is the second time Pant has suffered an injury in the series. He injured his finger while wicketkeeping during the third Test at Lord's due to which he was unable to keep wickets in England's second innings. Dhruv Jurel had kept wicket as a replacement then. He will be seen keeping wicket in place of Pant in the ENG vs IND 4th test as well.

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ENG vs IND 4th Test: 14 times in a row, Team India loses toss again, the odds of that are apparently 16,384-1

India's captain Shubman Gill lost the toss in the ENG vs IND fourth Test at Old Trafford. With Gill losing the toss, India have now lost 14 Test tosses in a row.

Jul 23, 2025, 10:58 AM2 min read

ENG vs IND 4th Test: 14 times in a row, Team India loses toss again, the odds of that are apparently 16,384-1

India's captain Shubman Gill lost the toss in the ENG vs IND fourth Test at Old Trafford. With Gill losing the toss, India have now lost 14 Test tosses in a row. The odds of that are, apparently, 16,384-1.

India is trailing the series 2-1 after a dramatic 22-run defeat at Lord’s.

Also Read: England penalised two WTC points for slow over-rate in Lord’s Test

Team India is losing toss continuously

India has lost the toss 14 times in a row since January 31, 2025. Earlier, this record was in the name of West Indies. West Indies had lost 12 consecutive tosses between February 2, 1999 and April 21, 1999. England is at number three in this list. England lost 11 consecutive tosses between December 17, 2022 and March 12, 2023.

Ben Stokes won the toss

England captain Ben Stokes won the toss on Wednesday and chose to field on an overcast morning in their crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford. History is against Stokes, though, as no team winning the toss and opting to bowl first has ever won a Test at Old Trafford.

India's result at Old Trafford

India has yet to win a Test at Old Trafford, having faced four defeats and five draws in nine previous matches at the Manchester ground.

India made three changes

ENG vs IND 4th Test: 14 times in a row, Team India loses toss again, the odds of that are apparently 16,384-1

India has made three changes in playing XI, with batsman Sai Sudharsan replacing Karun Nair, and Shardul Thakur and debutant Anshul Kamboj coming in for injured pacemen Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep.

Jasprit Bumrah was named to play by India. Before the ENG vs IND series commenced, it was announced that Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, would participate in only three of the five matches to safeguard his fitness following a back injury.

Also Read: Mohammed Siraj faces ban risk over his aggressive send-off and shoulder barge to Ben Duckett

England recalled Liam Dawson

ENG vs IND 4th Test: 14 times in a row, Team India loses toss again, the odds of that are apparently 16,384-1

England had previously named their side, making just one change by recalling Liam Dawson for the left-arm spinner’s first Test in eight years after Shoaib Bashir suffered a series-ending finger injury at Lord’s.

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ENG vs IND 4th Test Preview | Head-to-head stats, Possible XI, streaming details

In the third Test, England registered a thrilling win by 22 runs. Here is everything you need to know before the ENG vs IND fourth test match at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Jul 22, 2025, 12:03 PM3 min read

ENG vs IND 4th Test Preview | Head-to-head stats, Possible XI, match prediction, streaming details

The fourth match of the five-Test series between India vs England will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester from July 23. England is currently leading the series by 2-1, so it is very important for India to win this match. If India loses here, England will win the series.

In the third Test, both teams scored equal scores in the first innings, but England registered a thrilling win by 22 runs. However, England were deducted two WTC points due to slow over rate.

So far, India has played 9 Tests in Manchester, out of which four have been lost and five have been drawn. India has not won a single Test here till date. The first Test between India and England was played here in 1936. Team India will play a Test match on this ground for the first time after 2014. On the other hand, England has won 14 out of 20 Tests on this ground since 2000. They have lost two matches while 4 were draws.

Here is everything you need to know before the ENG vs IND fourth test match at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Also Read: ENG vs IND, 4th test: Three Indian players ruled out, what could be possible Indian lineup?

Match Details

  • Match: England vs India
  • Tournament: India tour of England, 4th Test
  • Date: 23 July 2025
  • Time: 3:30 PM IST
  • Venue: Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester

Streaming Details

The ENG vs IND 4th Test will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.

The viewers can watch the England vs India 4th Test live telecast on the Sony Sports Network.

ENG vs IND: Head-to-head stats

England and India have locked horns 137 times in the history of Test cricket so far. Out of these 137 matches, England defeated India 53 times while India come out victorious on 36 occasions with 50 games ending in a draw.

Matches played

139

England won

53

India won

36

Drawn

50

Pitch Report

The surface of the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester can turn out to be beneficial for the batters during the first hour but tends to slow down as the match progresses.

The team winning the toss is likely to go for batting first at this ground. Out of 86 Test matches played at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the team batting first won 32 times while the chasing side came out victorious on 17 occasions.

Weather Report

According to the Met Office, Manchester weather will be much colder than London’s, with rain predicted during the five-day encounter from July 23 to 27. The temperatures are expected to range between 14 degrees Celsius and the mercury will rise to 23 degrees Celsius.

ENG vs IND Predicted XI

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Liam Dawson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

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ENG vs IND: What are the changes in Indian team you would like to see in fourth test?

For the ENG vs IND match at Old Trafford, Indian team management could make multiple changes to the playing XI. Let's have a look.

Jul 16, 2025, 12:23 PM4 min read

ENG vs IND: What are the changes in Indian team you would like to see in fourth test?

Despite a great fight on the last day at Lord's, India suffered a heartbreak defeat by 22 runs in the third Test against England. Along with this, the discussion has intensified about the batting order of the team, especially the batting at number 3.

After the defeat at Lord's, the Indian men’s cricket team would like to come up with a big show in the fourth Test to level the series. The fourth red-ball match of the ongoing ENG vs IND five-match series will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 23 to 27. For the match at Old Trafford, Indian team management could make multiple changes to the playing XI.

Also Read: England penalised two WTC points for slow over-rate in Lord’s Test

Sudharsan may replace Karun Nair

ENG vs IND: What are the changes in Indian team you would like to see in fourth test?

Karun Nair looked solid whenever he was on the pitch in the 6 innings so far. But he could never take his innings beyond 50. Nair scored 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 runs in the 6 innings so far. During this time, he got out unlucky many times. But it is possible that the team management may now plan to try talented and young cricketer Sai Sudharsan in his place.

23-year-old Sai Sudharsan from Chennai got a chance to debut in the ENG vs IND Leeds Test. But the first opportunity slipped from his hands like sand from his fist. He played innings of 0 and 30 runs in Leeds. The team lost the Test and he was also dropped from the playing XI.

Kuldeep can make a return

ENG vs IND: What are the changes in Indian team you would like to see in fourth test?

Discussions have once again intensified about the inclusion of 30-year-old left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has taken 56 wickets in 13 Tests, in the playing XI. This tour could prove to be a good opportunity to include Kuldeep in the team.

Bumrah and Rishabh Pant out

ENG vs IND: What are the changes in Indian team you would like to see in fourth test?

Before the start of the series, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Shubman Gill, and even Bumrah himself confirmed that he will play only three matches in England, and since the pacer has already featured in two matches out of three played so far, there is a high possibility that he will miss the game in Manchester to return for the final fixture at The Oval in London from July 31 to August 4.

In addition to Bumrah, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant could also miss the match in Manchester. Pant suffered a finger injury during the first day’s play of the Lord’s Test, and as a result, he didn’t keep after 34 overs in the first innings. There is still no clarity over Pant’s injury. If he misses out, then Dhruv Jurel will replace him in the playing XI.

The 24-year-old stumper from Agra impressed with his glovework during the third Test, and he has amassed a total of 202 runs in six innings of four Tests played so far. Jurel’s best score in Test cricket is 90, which he registered against the English team in Ranchi last year.

Akash Deep likely retain Bumrah's place

ENG vs IND: What are the changes in Indian team you would like to see in fourth test?

Akash Deep could only manage to take one wicket in the third Test, but if Bumrah misses out due to workload management, then he is likely to retain his place.

Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav are the other four bowlers in India’s Test squad for the England series, and for the game at Old Trafford, Arshdeep could come in for Bumrah. Arshdeep is a left-arm pacer, and his inclusion will bring variety to India’s bowling attack.

Also Read: "Find this ridiculous": Stuart Broad slams ICC's call on Siraj, while Gill's behaviour goes unpunished

India’s predicted playing XI for the ENG vs IND 4th Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.

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