3 great records Ben Stokes can achieve as England’s Test captain

England all-rounder Ben Stokes led his team to a terrific 74-run win in the first Test of the three-match series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi recently.

England, playing their first Test in Pakistan since 2005, posted a mammoth 657 in their first innings after winning the toss and batting first. Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook all slammed centuries.

On what looked like a completely placid surface, hosts Pakistan responded with 579 as Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq and skipper Babar Azam struck hundreds. The match seemed headed for a dull draw.

However, a bold declaration from Stokes at 264/7 in the second innings left Pakistan with an enticing target of 343. The hosts crumbled on the final day and were bundled out for 268.

Stokes went on to describe the triumph as "one of England's greatest away wins." The Englishmen have been a different side ever since Stokes took charge of the Test team from Joe Root.

As the all-rounder goes from strength to strength as a leader, we predict three records he can go on to break as England’s Test captain.

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#1 Most wins as England’s Test captain

England players celebrate after taking the final wicket against Pakistan. Pic: Getty Images

Stokes’ predecessor Root currently holds the record for having won the most Tests as England captain. He led the team in 64 matches, winning 27 and losing 26, while 11 Tests ended in a draw.

Stokes has so far led England in nine Tests, having won seven and lost twice. Six of those wins have been registered at home - three against New Zealand, two against South Africa, and one against India.

The triumph in Rawalpindi was England’s first overseas Test win under their new captain.

There is still a long way to go before Stokes can come close to matching Root’s record for most Test wins by an England captain. But he has made a spectacular start to his tenure and assuming he remains the leader for the next four to five years, there is every chance of Stokes uprooting the record.

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#2 Most wickets as England’s Test captain

Stokes has an impressive bowling record as Test captain. Pic: Getty Images

Like most countries, England have also preferred batting captains irrespective of the format. But lately, bowlers too have been getting preference. Pat Cummins leads Australia in Test matches, while Jasprit Bumrah was the stand-in skipper in the rescheduled Test in Birmingham in Rohit Sharma's absence.

Stokes is, of course, an all-rounder, but he is a very handy pace bowler when it comes to Test matches. If we look at the history of England’s Test cricket, Bob Willis and Ray Illingworth stand out as two names who made significant contributions with the ball while leading the team in Test matches.

The late Willis led England in 18 Tests and claimed an impressive haul of 77 wickets at an average of 21.59 with three five-wicket hauls. Illingworth, who was an off-spinner and all-rounder, picked up 51 wickets in 31 Tests as England captain at an average of 35.96 with one five-fer to his name.

Stokes has a great chance of going past both England legends and becoming the captain with the most Test wickets for the country. In nine matches, he has picked up 25 wickets at an average of 26.16 with a best of 4/33.

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#3 Most matches as England’s Test captain

England players are ecstatic after clinching Rawalpindi Test. Pic: Getty Images

This might be a slightly difficult record for Stokes to go past, but not an impossible one. Root (64 Tests) currently holds the record for having captained England most times in the longer format of the game. His stint as leader lasted from 2017 to 2022.

Sir Alastair Cook is next on the list. He captained England in 59 Tests from 2010 to 2016, while Michael Atherton and Michael Vaughan led the team in 54 and 51 Tests, respectively.

Stokes has only captained England in nine Tests to date. However, he is still just 31, and assuming he goes on to lead the team for another five years, he should get close to Root’s record.

Compared to other nations, England play a lot more Test matches. This is another reason why Stokes can go past Root and move to the top of the charts.

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