Joe Root chases duck in 150th Test, overtakes Virat Kohli on unwanted WTC list

Star England batsman Joe Root endured a painful turning point in his storied career during the first Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval. Root, playing his 150th Test match, was dismissed for a four-ball duck by New Zealand debutant Nathan Smith.

Root’s dismissal, his 13th in Test cricket and eighth in the World Test Championship (WTC) era, elevated him to the enviable list of batsmen with the most ducks in the WTC, overtaking the likes of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith. Seven. This lean spell continues the tough run for Root, who has made just 90 runs in five innings since his double century against Pakistan in Multan.

Smith, a debutant seamer, got off to a dream start by dismissing England’s Jacob Bethell and Root simultaneously, reducing the visitors’ tally to 45/3 following the early departure of Zak Crawley. England’s struggles were exacerbated by the dismissal of Ben Duckett, leaving them reeling at 71/4. However, a resilient 103-run stand between Ollie Pope (59*) and Harry Brook (54*) brought some stability; England reached 174/4 at tea, still 174 runs behind New Zealand’s first innings total of 348.

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Root’s duck in his landmark 150th Test match places him in an exclusive but unwanted club, joining Australian legends Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as the only batsmen to record ducks in their 150th Test appearance.

Players who appeared for Duck in the 150th Test Match:
Steve Waugh (Australia – PAK, Sharjah, 2002) – 1st ball
Ricky Ponting (AUS vs ENG, Adelaide, 2010) – 1st ball
Joe Root (ENG vs NZ, Christchurch, 2024) – 4th ball

Earlier in the day, England dismissed New Zealand for 348, with Glenn Phillips (58*) taking the back-order after Kane Williamson scored 120 on day 1. England’s bowlers Brydon Carse (4/64) and Shoaib Bashir (4/69) performed superbly. but visitors encountered immediate setbacks in response. Harry Brook and Ollie Pope’s counter-attacking 150-plus partnership gave hope, but England’s task remains daunting with a significant deficit to overcome and New Zealand’s pace attack firing on all cylinders. Both Brook and Pope hit gritty fifties with an unbeaten stand to help England after the top order fell apart.