5 records created by England across formats in 2021

The Three Lions started off their year by winning the Test series 2-0 in Sri Lanka asskipper Joe Root started scoring heavily from the beginning of 2021. He scored two big hundreds as England whitewashed the Lankan Lions. The British side, however, then lost all the series across formats against India in India and also the Test series against Kiwis in England. The team returned to winning ways as they won white-ball series comprehensively against Pakistan and Sri Lanka at home.

While the home Test series against India was inconclusive, the visitors were 2-1 up after four games. Nonetheless, the English side headed into the T20 World Cup as one of the favorites along with India and West Indies. In a year where Joe Root has completely dominated the Test format, England, the white-ball specialist team, didn’t disappoint as Eoin Morgan led the team to victories in the first four games. They, however, lost to their new rivals New Zealand in the semi-finals and got knocked out. The start of the Ashes hasn’t been great either as the team is already 1-0 down in the series.

Meanwhile, here are some of the records created by England in 2021:

1.  Liam Livingstone scored fastest fifty and fastest hundred for England

In July, Liam Livingstone smashed the fastest half-century and also the fastest hundred for England when he brought up his 50 in 17 balls and 100 in just 42 balls against Pakistan. The fastest ton record was previously held by Dawid Malan when he had scored it in 48 balls against New Zealand in 2019. With 86 sixes in T20 matches, Livingstone is second behind Glenn Phillips for hitting most maximums this year. A terrific hard-hitter of the cricket ball, Livingstone has certainly become a regular member in the England T20I side.

2. Joe Root becomes the England captain with most Test wins

With England’s win over India in the third Test at Leeds in August, Joe Root became the most successful England captain with most Test wins (27) under his belt. He surpassed Michael Vaughan’s record of 26 wins. Root has skippered the Three Lions side in 57 matches winning 27, losing 22 times and drawing the Tests on eight occasions. At home, the Yorkshire man is just three wins away from overtaking Andrew Strauss’s tally of 19 wins as Root has 17 victories to his name now.

3. Jos Buttler scores most runs for England in a T20 World Cup edition

In the T20 World Cup held in UAE, the swashbuckling England wicketkeeper batter Jos Buttler amassed 269 runs with an outstanding average of 89.66, making him the highest run-scorer for the British side in a T20 World Cup edition. He broke the record of the Test captain Joe Root who had achieved 249 runs in the previous T20 event held in India in 2016. Buttler even cracked a century against Sri Lanka at Sharjah with him being the only batter to do so in the mega event. One of the most sought-after player in white-ball cricket in the world right now, Jos Buttler (2140) is only behind his captain Eoin Morgan (2428) for scoring most runs for England in T20Is.

4. Joe Root becomes the England batter with most runs in Tests in a calendar year

Undoubtedly 2021 is the year of Joe Root in Tests. During the first Ashes Test at the Gabba, the baby-faced England skipper with his half-century became the England batter with most Test runs in a calendar year. He went past Michael Vaughan’s total of 1481 runs which he had achieved way back in the year 2002. With two more Ashes Tests to be played before the end of 2021, Root will try to reach at least 1700-run mark.

5. Joe Root is way ahead than others in Tests this year

1544 runs, six centuries, two double tons, average of 64.33, highest score of 228 and counting. Joe Root has made 2021 of his own completely by scoring runs and runs and runs. The England captain is way ahead than any other batter in Tests this year. No batter has even crossed 1000 runs mark with India’s Rohit Sharma falls on the second place for amassing 906 runs. Joe Root would like to continue scoring more runs and end the year on a very high and also helping his side to bounce back in the ongoing Ashes series where they are already 1-0 down.