After Root’s 99, former India captain urges him on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma | Cricket News
Joe Root delivered a masterclass in ODI batting, anchoring England’s successful chase of 234 against India in the second ODI with an unbeaten 99 off 133 balls. At a time when wickets were falling all around him, the veteran stood firm, composing a composed knock studded with nine boundaries to guide England home with the calm and assurance that defined his one-day career.Root’s innings earned glowing praise from former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble, who compared the England stalwart’s importance to his team with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for India.“Joe Root is to England what Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are to India. Root is the only batsman in the England side who still plays with an old-school ODI mindset. Other batsmen came out attacking from the start, but Root took his time, anchored the innings, and brought peace to the chase,” Kumble told JioHotstar. “His ability to rotate the strike and find the gaps makes him incredibly reliable. You know he’s not going to play a dangerous shot at the wrong time. That kind of awareness of the game is important,” he said. Kumble also highlighted the similarities between Root, Kohli and Rohit, saying the trio’s success stems from their ability to score consistently while keeping risks to a minimum.“What makes Root, Kohli and Rohit so successful is that their run-scoring looks effortless. They don’t plan. They react to the ball. They play low-risk, high-reward cricket rather than high-risk, high-reward cricket.
Root chased down the target with ease
India squandered a commanding position after being asked to lead at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Despite a strong 114-run stand between Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66) that took the visitors to 180/3, a dramatic middle-order collapse saw them lose their last seven wickets for 53 runs and were bowled out for 233. Jofra Archer (3/47) and Gus Atkinson (3/50) starred with the ball, while Jasprit Bumrah’s unbeaten 20 helped India cross the 230 mark.England’s chase got off to a disastrous start as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ben Duckett on the first ball of the innings before Prasidh Krishna reduced the hosts to 8/2. However, Joe Root anchored the chase with a superb 99 off 133 balls*, receiving vital support from Will Jacks (30), Sam Curran (26) and Gus Atkinson (23)*. Atkinson hit the winner to seal a four-wicket victory, leaving Root badly stranded one run short of a century.The result tied the three-match ODI series 1-1, with the decider scheduled to be played at Lord’s on July 19.
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