NEW DELHI: Joe Root ended the ODI series against India unbeaten, scoring 249 runs in three innings to guide England to a 2-1 series win. At 36, while many of his contemporaries have retired, Root continues to redefine consistency across formats. All of Root’s scores in this series 76, 99 and 74 came when the team needed him most, and he was deservedly named Player of the Series.In the three-match ODI series against India, Root was the backbone of England’s batting. He scored 76 in the first ODI to help England recover to 258 from 107/6, followed it up with a match-winning 99 in the second ODI while chasing 234, and finished with an unbeaten 74 in the third ODI, anchoring England’s record total of 387 runs, supporting Ben Duckett, over the death and accelerating in 141.
India had no answer to Joe Root
Joe Root breathed fire against India on their home soil and denied India a fairytale comeback after their 0-4 T20I series loss. In the presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit SharmaIndia batted well, but they could not stop the home hero, Root, who remained a headache for the visitors.Remember the bat-drop celebration by Root against India in 2018? It was the last time England won an ODI series against India, and the hero then was none other than Root. He had scored 113* and 100 in that series and was named the Player of the Series.
Joe Root’s bat drop party
For over a decade, Root has been England’s most reliable batsman across Tests and ODIs, always delivering when the team needed him most. Now 36, he continues to thrive despite many of his contemporaries, such as Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan, Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersenand more recently Ben Stokes, who has already retired from international cricket.The moot point is how Root continues to compete with youngsters in the same way he did a decade ago. What is the secret behind their longevity? Former England spinner Monty Panesar, who once shared the dressing room with Root, revealed the secret.Speaking to TimesofIndia.com, Monty Panesar pointed out Root’s hunger for runs and how he continues to evolve with every match, making every ground feel like his own den.
“England’s greatest ever to play”
“I think he is simply hungry. He loves to play cricket and is always hungry to bowl. He still has that passion, and probably wants to cement his status as one of England’s greatest cricketers. With an ODI average above 50 and a Test average above 50, he probably feels he still has a few years left. When he retires, he wants to be remembered as England’s greatest batsman,” Monty Panesar told TimesofIndia.com.In the modern era of T20, where batsmen try to come in, smash the ball, and walk away, Root prefers to stay at the crease and plays like an old-school batsman who believes in building an innings instead of throwing his wicket away at a reckless stroke.“When I played with him, he had a very solid defence. He was always comfortable playing reverse sweeps, paddle sweeps, and those little scoring shots. He made them look very easy. You can see how his game has evolved, even in Test cricket, where he now plays the back sweep over the slips for six. Cricket is why his game is so effective. That is the difference between Joe Root and many of the younger players today,” added Monty Panesar.
The many careers of Joe Root
There is another story that defines Joe Root’s career – his journey before, during and after captaincy.Before becoming captain (2012 – January 2017), he scored 8,211 runs in 152 matches at an average of 48.58.During his Test captaincy (2017-April 2022), Root amassed 8,680 runs in 149 matches at an average of 49.31. And since stepping down as captain in 2022, Root has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance. He amassed 5,942 runs in 89 matches at an average of 53.05, scoring 20 centuries while rediscovering his best form in Tests and ODIs.
JOE ROOT
“The Captaincy changed the root, but it did not break it”
“I think his captaincy period was extremely difficult. England went through a difficult phase where they won only one of 17 Test matches, and eventually he had to resign. Those difficult moments probably made him stronger. Now he enjoys the freedom that comes without the burden of captaincy, and he makes the most of it because he knows how hard things were in that period. I think these experiences increased his hunger even more. He wants to continue playing as long as possible because he really likes to score for England again,” said Monty Panesar.
Why not Root Conquer T20 Cricket?
Whenever Joe Root is compared with the Fab Four, one question is always asked: Why has he failed to dominate T20Is?There is Virat Kohli, who excelled in every format he played. Kane Williamson he has shown his class in all formats. Steve Smith he did the same. But Root always believed in elegant batting over power-hitting.“I think his game is naturally better suited to the longer formats of T20 cricket, and that’s probably why he hasn’t been successful in the shorter format. If you compare it to today’s younger batsmen, his games are built around T20 cricket. Joe Root’s strengths are more suited to Test cricket and ODIs. On the other hand, his technique and temperament are perfectly suited to Test cricket and ODIs,” explained Panesar.
“Root is to England what Virat-Rohit are to India”: Kumble
England’s Answer to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
India have relied heavily on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for years. England, meanwhile, relied on just one man whenever the batsman came under pressure: Joseph Edward Root. After Root’s unbeaten 99 against India in the second ODI, former Indian captain Anil Kumble said, “What Virat and Rohit are to India, Root is to England.”This statement perfectly justifies how far Root has come in his career.“Joe Root gives someone like Harry Brook a lot of comfort. Harry Brook can come out there and play his attacking shots because he knows Joe Root is at the other end. When Root eventually retires, Brook should become more responsible, but now Root allows the younger players to express themselves. The players know that if things get tough, Joe Root is always there. It is similar to what Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have meant to India,” said Monty Panesar.That’s probably the biggest compliment any hitter can receive. When 10 other players and the coaching staff believe that as long as you’re at the crease, anything is possible, you know you’ve earned that respect. That is exactly what Root has built up throughout his career.If Root keeps breaking Sachin TendulkarThe all-time Test run record, he needs just 1,807 more runs, wins another ICC title, and helps England win back the Ashes at home, there will be very little for him to achieve in international cricket.As Panesar rightly put it: “If he does that, it would be the icing on the cake for Joe Root. Winning a World Cup in South Africa would be absolutely massive for him.”For now, Root continues to do what he has done for more than a decade: run runs, frustrate bowlers, and prove that classic batting still has a place in the modern game.