On Sunday, September 8, Joe Root surpassed the South African legend, Jacques Kallis in the list of the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in Test cricket, as he broke into the top 3 list.
During England's third and final Test match of the home series against Sri Lanka, ex-skipper, Root made yet another record as he took his 201st catch in Test cricket when Kamindu Mendis edged the ball to the slips off Chris Woakes' bowling, while batting on 64 on Day 3.
With his 201st catch, Root broke into the top 3 of the list full of illustrious names, just in the touching distance of Rahul Dravid and Mahela Jayawardene.
Most Test catches for non-wicketkeepers:
As the only other active cricketer on the top 10 list, Australia's Steve Smith is still 18 catches behind and considering the frequency of the Test matches that England plays, the English batter has a great chance of breaking the highest catches record, currently held by India's Rahul Dravid.
| # | Player | Total Catches |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rahul Dravid | 210 |
| 2. | Mahela Jayawardene | 205 |
| 3. | Joe Root | 201* |
| 4. | Jacques Kallis | 200 |
| 5. | Ricky Ponting | 196 |
| 6. | Steve Smith | 183* |
| 7. | Mark Waugh | 181 |
| 8. | Alastair Cook | 175 |
| 9. | Stephen Fleming | 171 |
| 10. | Graeme Smith | 169 |