Joe Root steps down as Test captain: A look at 3 of his best knocks while leading England

Joe Root resigned as Test captain on Friday following a string of series losses and calls from former English cricketers to step down. Despite the recent lows, the 31-year-old finished his tenure as England's most successful Test captain, registering 27 wins.

The outgoing captain excelled with the bat while leading his side. In 64 Tests as captain, the right-handed batter scored 5295 runs at 46.44 while scoring 14 centuries.

As the man-in-charge, Joe Root was also the leading run-getter in Tests in 2021, amassing 1708 runs even as the other batters in the team struggled. However, a lack of a century in Australia has eluded Root in his career so far.

The 31-year-old's run tally in red-ball cricket for England is currently 9989 runs in 117 matches at 49.19 with 25 tons. With the captaincy's responsibility off his shoulders, fans could witness the Yorkshire batter smash more records with the blade.

Here's a look at Root's three best knocks as England's Test captain.

228 vs Sri Lanka at Galle, 2021

Joe Root. (Image Credits: Twitter)

England returned to Sri Lanka in 2021 for the two-Test series, which was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first Test in Galle saw Root put on a masterclass against spin-bowling in the sub-continent to lead the tourists to a series sweep.

The visiting skipper reigned supreme over Lasith Embuldeniya, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Dilruwan Perera to score 228. His knock led the way for a mammoth 421 after England bowled the hosts out for 135 in the first innings.

The visitors stuttered slightly to chase down 74 in the fourth innings. However, they eventually picked up a seven-wicket victory. Root's 228 was also the highest score by a visiting batter in Sri Lanka in over ten years. The veteran of 117 Tests made a whopping 426 runs in two Tests to earn the Player of the Series award.

218 vs India at Chennai, 2021

Root made a sensational 218 in Chennai. (Credits: Twitter)

Following a clean sweep in Sri Lanka, England arrived in India with the aim of defeating Virat Kohli & Co. The visitors made a bright start to the tour, winning the first Test convincingly. The 31-year-old carried his magnificent form in Sri Lanka to India and top-scored with 218 against a world-class bowling attack.

The Yorkshire batter received support from Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes as England made India toil for 190 overs across two and a half days. The visitors gained a significant lead and lay down a target of 420 for India.

James Anderson and Jack Leach took three and four scalps each to inflict a 227-run loss on the hosts and take the lead in the series.

The English captain's first-innings knock of 218 was the standout feature in the match as it earned him the Player of the Match award. However, the visitors' ace batter struggled in the remaining Tests as India bounced back to clinch the series.

190 vs South Africa at Lord's, 2017

Joe Root. (Image Credits: Twitter)

The opening Test of the English summer was Joe Root's first as captain. The Englishman replaced Alastair Cook, who quit after the tour of India in 2016. Batting at number four after Vernon Philander dismissed the openers cheaply to leave England at 20-2, Root proved that he was ready for the captaincy.

The newly-appointed man-in-charge top-scored with 190 and lead the way for an imposing 458.

Although the Yorkshire batter managed only five runs in the second innings, the hosts set the Proteas a target of 331. Moeen Ali's six-wicket haul left the visitors in tatters as Root-led England romped to a 211-run win. The home side also won the four-match series 3-1.