Much of what Joe Root did during Thursday’s series-levelling four-wicket victory over India at the Sophia Gardens here was an anachronism.
He batted 133 balls for his unbeaten 99, scored just around 35% of the runs in boundaries, and even gave up the chance to score his 21st ODI hundred as Gus Atkinson collected almost all the runs when 19 were needed and Root was already on 98.
“I’m delighted that we found a way of doing it ugly, and doing it in a way that probably doesn’t suit a lot of the other guys,” Root said, after the win.
“It comes down to just playing to win and what you feel is the best way to go about that. For me, on that surface, it was about taking it deep.
“I don’t think they [India] had a choice. They had to keep bringing back guys like [Jasprit] Bumrah and looking at ways of taking wickets. So you take overs out of them at times when they don’t want to bowl.”
Root, 35, also praised his bowlers for dismissing India for 233, despite the visitors being 178 for three at one stage and a well-set Virat Kohli (65, 66b, 8x4) still batting.
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“We found a way to get something out of the surface. It wasn’t a straightforward ODI wicket, and sometimes, it can be quite difficult to gauge what a good first-innings score is. Especially when the best player to ever play this format is out there getting a run-a-ball 50.”
With the on-going series likely to be the last time Kohli and Rohit Sharma will tour England, Root paid a rich tribute to the talismanic duo.
“They have moved the bar and changed the goalposts for everyone,” Root said. “I’ve watched them play, and you try and learn how they read the game, take on different situations, and play different passages.
“A lot of the time, they’re miles ahead. It’d be sad if they don’t come back. I will miss playin
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Published on Jul 17, 2026