Now Reading: Joe Root’s all-format genius shines in England’s ODI series win over India
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Joe Root’s all-format genius shines in England’s ODI series win over India
Joe Root scored 249 runs across three ODIs against India in mid-July 2026 without being dismissed, winning the Player-of-the-Series award as England took the series 2-1. His knocks included an unbeaten 76…
The Story in Brief
Joe Root scored 249 runs across three ODIs against India in mid-July 2026 without being dismissed, winning the Player-of-the-Series award as England took the series 2-1. His knocks included an unbeaten 76 in Birmingham, a grinding 99 not out in Cardiff, and a 48-ball 74 at Lord's featuring reverse-sweeps and reverse-scoops. Since January 2025, the 35-year-old has amassed 1304 ODI runs at an average of 81.5, the best among players with three or more innings.
Root's revival follows a lean phase from 2020 to 2024, when he averaged just 28.95 in ODIs. England coach Brendon McCullum called him "some player" and a "blueprint" for others. Root, who leads the Test run charts for England with 14,114 runs at 50.58, has also returned as full-time Test captain after Ben Stokes' retirement.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that Root's ODI form was in terminal decline ignored a simple truth: he barely played the format between 2020 and 2024. His 1304 runs in 2025 at an average of 81.5, with four centuries, is no fluke, it reflects a deliberate re-engagement with the 50-over game after England's 2023 World Cup disaster. Critics who wrote him off while obsessing over T20 specialists missed the point. The real test comes in South Africa next year: can he anchor a World Cup chase under pressure?
Source: thehindu.com
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