Joe Root equals this unwanted captaincy record in Test cricket
21 Jun 2026

England cricket team talisman Joe Root has added an unwanted record to his name.

Root, who stood in place of Ben Stokes as England skipper for the 2nd encounter, saw his side suffer a massive 253-run defeat against New Zealand at The Oval.

This was Root's 27th defeat as captain, equaling him with former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming for the second-most losses in Test history.

He is now behind only South Africa's Graeme Smith, who holds the record with 28 losses.

Comparison of the three captains: Breaking down the stats
Loss metrics

As per ESPNcricinfo, Root's 27 losses have come in just 65 Tests as captain, giving him a loss percentage of 41.53.

From 65 games, Root has won 27 and lost 27 with 11 matches being drawn.

This is much higher than Fleming's 27 losses in 80 Tests at a loss rate of 33.75%.

Fleming clocked 28 wins, 27 defeats and 25 draws as New Zealand skipper.

Even Smith, who has the most defeats in Test history, had a lower loss rate at 26.6%.

Besides captaining South Africa in 108 matches (W53, L28, D27), he led the ICC team once (L1).

Root was reinstated for the second Test against New Zealand
Captaincy challenges

Root had stepped down as England's Test captain in April 2022 after a tough run.

However, he was reinstated for the second Test against New Zealand after regular skipper Stokes was suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Stokes had breached the team's midnight curfew and was involved in a drunken altercation at a nightclub.

However, Stokes is set to return for the 3rd match against the Kiwis and will lead the side.

England field 3 debutants in the match against New Zealand
Match dynamics

The ECB's decision to give Root the captaincy instead of vice-captain Harry Brook made sense when England's selection problems emerged.

Along with Stokes, pacer Gus Atkinson was also unavailable due to his involvement in the nightclub incident. Meanwhile, Ollie Robinson missed the match due to injury.

These absences forced England to field three debutants on a surface that favored an experienced side like New Zealand.

How did the match pan out?
Target set

The visitors scored 391 runs in their first innings and bowled out England (291) for a 100-run lead.

New Zealand added another 361 runs in their second innings, setting England a daunting target of 463 runs.

Any hopes of an unlikely chase were dashed quickly on the fifth morning.

England resumed at 182/5 but lost their remaining five wickets in just 48 minutes as Matt Henry ran through the lower order.

He ended with sensational figures of 6-29 in the second innings and 11-109 in the match, recording his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket.