Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey
Ben Stokes became the sixth England Test captain in history to win 20+ matches. After taking over a side that won just one of 17 Tests across 2021 and 2022, Stokes has gone on to have the best win-percentage of any England captain who has led in at least 15 Tests.
But, where does Stokes currently rank in terms of wins among England Test captains? Here is a look at the top five.
Most wins as captain for England in Tests
Joe Root: 27
Joe Root, who captained England between 2017 and 2022, has the most wins with 27. However, he also has the most defeats (26), with a very difficult finish to his tenure.
Along the way, Root oversaw series wins against India at home in 2018 and Sri Lanka 3-0 away in the same year. England also won 2-0 in Sri Lanka in 2021 – another highlight of Root’s tenure.
Michael Vaughan: 26
Michael Vaughan had an excellent win-loss ratio of 2.36, having won 26 and lost 11 of his 51 Tests as skipper (14 draws). Vaughan as captain oversaw a successful period in England Test cricket between 2003 and 2008, with the 2005 Ashes undoubtedly the highlight.
Self-belief was a huge part of Vaughan’s mantra. He has spoken of his team talk after Australia held on for a thrilling draw at Old Trafford. “Look at that lot celebrating a draw,” he said. “Let’s go to Trent Bridge and do it again.”
Andrew Strauss: 24
Andrew Strauss led England to a dominant Ashes victory down under in 2010/11. With Alastair Cook at the peak of his powers in a well balanced and well drilled unit, England won 3-1, with all three of their victories coming by an innings. Strauss himself had a solid series with the bat, scoring three fifties and a hundred in seven innings.
Strauss, a sound leader and tactician, soon led England to the top of the Test rankings after beating India 4-0 at home in 2011. When he retired in 2012, Strauss finished with 24 Test wins, more than double the amount lost (11). There were also 15 draws.
Alastair Cook: 24
Alastair Cook began his England captaincy career in 2010 when Andrew Strauss was rested for the Bangladesh tour. Cook made the perfect start, hitting two centuries in two Tests in a series sweep for England.
However, when he took over full time from Strauss in 2012, England were facing a few challenges. They had lost 2-0 at home to South Africa, before a tour of India that is arguably the hardest task for a new captain.
Cook delivered. He topped the run scoring charts with 562 runs at 80.28, and led the team excellently after a tough first Test.
Afterwards, Cook endured challenges as captain, including the 5-0 Ashes defeat in 2013/14 and some lean form on occasions. In the end, Cook finished with a win/loss ratio of 1.09, with 24 wins, 22 losses and 13 draws from 59 Tests as captain.
Ben Stokes: 22
Ben Stokes knows a thing or two about taking over at a tricky time. England were on the mat after copping another thrashing in Australia (4-0 in 2021/22), and the subsequent 1-0 defeat in West Indies was the catalyst for change.
England hired Brendon McCullum as coach to partner Stokes the captain. A new, aggressive style of play was immediately on show as England defeated reigning World Test Champions New Zealand 3-0, India in a one-off Test (as a completion of the 2021 series) and South Africa 2-1, all at home.
However, it was Pakistan in 2022 that is still arguably England’s finest series win under Stokes as captain. On very flat pitches, England focused on rapid scoring to give their bowlers more time to take 20 wickets. They ended up winning 3-0.
Since then, it has been a bit of an up and down ride. A series win in New Zealand in 2024 was a welcome result after throwing away wins in the 2023 Ashes, losing 4-1 in India, and then 2-1 in Pakistan, with critics pointing to “Bazball” not focused enough on winning.
Ahead of the 2025 series against India, Stokes spoke of the importance of winning, compared to the past where entertainment seemed to be the key objective. As of 1 July 2025, Stokes has 22 wins in 36 Tests – the best win percentage (61.11%) as mentioned.
