Can Root be the answer to England's ODI struggles?

WHEN Joe Root was trapped on the pads trying to play Ravindra Jadeja off the backfoot in Nagpur, it seemed like he had joined an already struggling England batting line-up who hadn't been able to take on the Indian spinners.

- GOMESH S

But before that innings, Root hadn't played a single One Day International in over 14 months. His last outing in the 50-over format was against Pakistan during the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup in Kolkata. Understandably, he was a bit rusty.

Fortunately, it was just that. In the time since the ODI World Cup, Root has not just piled on runs for fun in Test cricket but also has climbed several peaks.

By and large, he had been the best run-getter in the world in this period while also becoming the best England has ever produced. At the other end of the spectrum, he was playing T20 leagues for fun. In fact, even before coming to India, Root was in South Af rica, playing for Paarl Royals in the SA20 League.