England improved in ODI cricket with a win over India thanks to Harry Brook, Brendon McCullum and Joe Root. cricket news

India found it impossible to dismiss Joe Root throughout the ODI series as the England batsman plundered 249 runs without losing his wicket.

It is also perhaps impossible to dismiss Root’s notion that England’s 50-over side is on the rise. After a painful few years in this format, including the brutal 2023 World Cup, there are signs of improvement.

It is now a success against number one ranked team India with back-to-back series wins under captain Harry Brooke – Lord’s seal the run-fest with victory – After the win in Sri Lanka in January.

In both of those 2-1 wins, England showed character to fight back from 1-0 down before coming out on top in the match decider.

The sentiment around the ODI team is much more positive than it was back in November, that’s for sure.

The 3-0 defeat in New Zealand, remembered more for Brook’s altercation with a nightclub bouncer on tour than the dismissal of England’s top order, was the sixth defeat in seven ODI series.

There was not only chatter about whether England were ready for a second consecutive 50-over World Cup when the 2027 edition arrived, but whether they would actually make the tournament.

Ranked eighth in the rankings and with only the top nine spots secured, including already qualified co-hosts South Africa, England knew their ODI streak could be discredited entering a qualifying tournament.

That fear has now eased.

What is working now for England in ODI cricket?

England are starting to look like a fully functioning team again. Not at the level of 2019, when they were the best 50-over team on the planet, but one that can compete.

A nearly 200-run stand between Ben Duckett and new opening partner Jacob Bethel at the height of the win over India included a winner-takes-all clash at Lord’s.

Pace helped the Indian bowling in the absence of spearhead Jasprit Bumrah due to injury, with Duckett and Bethel finding a potent mix of aggression and composure.

Duckett hit 141 – overtaking Sir Vivian Richards for the highest score in ODIs at Lord’s – and is now back to his best after a tumultuous Ashes on and off the field after a recent Test century against New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Bethel, knocking up his 91 with the key wicket of Rohit Sharma in India’s brilliant but ultimately unsuccessful chase, was brought into the attack when head coach Brendon McCullum gently nudged Brook to deploy the left-arm spinner.

The McCullum-Brooke relationship (no doubt it will be called Buzz and Haze at some point) has been doing well, with the ODI win after a 4-0 drubbing of India in the previous T20I series to take the team to the top of the world rankings in that format.

Would England be better off leaving Brook to captain white-ball teams only, rather than – or in lieu of – giving him Test captaincy on top of those gigs?

Root – another candidate to replace Ben Stokes as Test captain – was the hosts’ biggest highlight in the ODI series, showing his ability to innovate, manipulate, collect and revive with the bat.

His unbeaten 76 at Edgbaston gave his side their first taste of ODI victory. His unbeaten 99 won them second. He then made an unbeaten 74 in England at Lord’s with the highest average in a List A game – 387-3 – in the third.

England still has to do what?

Root’s class, however, showed in his teammates in the first two matches, in Birmingham and then again in South Wales on a tricky pitch with several players out for rash shots. Brooke’s innings at Sophia Gardens, 16 off one ball, was simply insane.

Brook later spoke about how England could learn from Root’s rotational strike and composure and prepare them for next autumn’s World Cup. You still feel they are weak on surfaces that do a bit, much like the Test team.

Another aspect to completely nail is the make-up of the XI.

England were spin-heavy in the series opener against India, perhaps due to the success in Sri Lanka, with all-rounder Sam Curran opting for just two outs and out-seamers in Jofra Archer and Josh Tong.

Spinner Liam Dawson scored a crucial half-century, sharing a hundred with Root as England melted away from 61-0 to 107-6, but his inclusion was perhaps the wrong call with the hosts clamoring for extra pacers.

They have amended that with Dawson the man dropped for the last two matches and an extra seamer likely to go with pace dominance in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia World Cups.

Which seamers should join Archer and Curran in the XI?

Archer – who feels he is bowling as consistently as ever, a view that is hard to argue with – and Curran have managed to stay in the playing XI.

Curran has brought a new dimension to the side since his return last summer and dashed India’s hopes with a six-ball three-wicket haul at the death at Lord’s.

His left-arm angles and crafty moon balls proved a real antidote to the right-arm seam diet England faced during their disappointing Champions Trophy campaign in early 2025, McCullum’s first tournament as white-ball supremo.

Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, Shakib Mahmood, a fit-again Braydon Carrs and when he is fit again, Jamie Overton are the other pacers pushing for a starting spot.

In an ideal world, one of them would be middle-overs enforcer Liam Plunkett during his 2019 World Cup-winning campaign.

You also wonder what the future holds for Dawson, who will reach 38 runs in time for the 2027 World Cup. Can he make it that far, or will England prioritize pushing young spin-bowling all-rounders like Rehan Ahmed and James Coles?

England’s growth in ODI cricket can be gauged again when they host Sri Lanka for three matches in September, directly Sky SportsSouth Africa for a further three-match series in January next year before touring Australia in November.

That will be the series England fans now look forward to rather than dreading the Brook, McCullum and Root-inspired emergence.

England vs India – Full Results

T20 (England won five-match series 4-0, now top ranking)

ODI (England won the three-match series 2-1)