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Joe Root saved England from trouble. Sound familiar?
Root, his country’s all-time leading run-scorer in both Test and ODI cricket, is no stranger to coming to the crease with his side in contention and did so again before hitting an unbeaten 99 off 133 balls in Cardiff on Thursday.
After Ben Duckett was dropped by Indian wizard Jasprit Bumrah for a golden duck, Root came out with England 0-1 chasing 234 runs in one delivery.
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Sky Sports pundits Mark Butcher and Ravi Shastri hailed Root’s ‘very professional’ knock and his longevity at the Sophia Gardens, before the man himself had his say.
Soon, it was 8-2 when Jacob Bethel put Prasidh Krishna behind.
With England trailing to 53-3 next – skipper Harry Brooke ended a Scottish innings by scooping a ball into his helmet – and 125-5, Root was unstoppable.
Root keeps calm – but also shows his anger
There were flashes of emotion from the batsmen when Will Jacks was out to cover for the sixth wicket with 37 needed in the 40th over – Root’s annoyance was palpable – and then a bright smile when Gus Atkinson pulled the winning boundary.
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Root was visibly annoyed when Will Jacks was dismissed for the 37 runs needed to win in Cardiff.
Atkinson’s four, off one ball in the 45th over, left Root one run shy of a 21st ODI century but the England great didn’t care, saying it was “probably the best feeling in cricket” to be there at the end of a series-equaling win on a tough track.
It was a masterclass from Root in how to chase when run-rate was not a major concern – he was four in 21 balls amid India’s bowling barrage before getting into his groove and hit a total of nine fours – and one Brook feels is a template for teammates.
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Gus Atkinson’s match-clinching boundary puts Root one run shy of 21st ODI century
The England captain later said of Root: “He’s a fantastic player. You can learn a lot from him, even in the changing room. He’s a great guy to be around.
“He always seems to turn up when we need him most. He’s been one of the best in the world for years in rotating strikes.
“I remember he played an innings a few years ago when he hit a hundred with just three fours.”
Do other England batsmen value their wickets as much as Root?
Root has now amassed 286 runs across his last three ODI innings after an unbeaten 111 in Sri Lanka in January, followed by an unbeaten 76 in a six-wicket loss to India in the series opener at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
You could see how upset Root was when Jax was out. He was blowing! I don’t think I’ve seen him like that before! He also had a pop to Atkinson when he flopped on one. It was an excellent demonstration from Root of how you complete a run chase when run-rate is not an issue. Extremely professional.
The 35-year-old has crossed fifty in each of his last five ODIs.
Sky Sports’ Mark Butcher said: “For too long, Root has been in batting line-ups that have met or fallen short of expectations.
“At the moment, in both Test and ODI cricket, he pretty much holds the fort alone. You sometimes wonder if some of the players around him are learning that lesson about valuing your wicket.
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Check out bits of Harry Brook’s skittish knock in the second ODI, where he was caught on scoop while flicking a similar shot on the helmet earlier
“Sometimes it’s as simple as that. ‘How valuable is my wicket and am I willing to give it out in tough times, or do I give away my wicket to the opposition and leave it to someone else?’
“Root doesn’t leave it to other people.”
England vs India Result and Game Play
All times UK and Ireland, All games are live on Sky Sports
