Harry Brook and Joe Root batter Sri Lanka in rare, morale-boosting series win

“When Brooky came in,” Root said of his captain. “He went through the gears and showed exactly what he is capable of doing. You saw his full array of shots, his ability and it’s a joy to watch from the other end.”

After a difficult recent period for Brook, in which he has spoken about the need to “regain the trust” of his team-mates following his altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, to score a match-winning century in a series decider is well-timed and fitting for a player of his ability.

So too is the series win a feather in the cap for his blossoming captaincy. England had not won an overseas ODI tour since beating Bangladesh in 2023 and across their last 17 ODIs they had won only five. By contrast, Sri Lanka have been close to unbeatable at home in recent years, winning 11 and drawing one of their last 12 series.

“I think he’s been excellent in every aspect,” Root said of Brook’s captaincy. “He’s grown throughout the three games and he didn’t panic tonight when they got off to an absolute flyer.

“It’s easy to do when you’re on top but when a team throws a few punches back at you to stay calm and manage it like he did was another example of why I think he’s going to be an excellent captain in white-ball cricket… I think he’s gone a long way to earning that trust back, he certainly has in the dressing room.”

The win also gives England much-needed world ranking points, with their recent record leaving them languishing in eighth place and at risk of failing to qualify automatically for the ODI World Cup in 2027.

Along with Root, who passed fifty for the third time this series on his way to a 20th ODI century, the pair lifted England to a fantastic total of 357 for three with a partnership of 191 from 113 deliveries.

But as so often feels the case with Brook, the two most common questions that spring to mind when watching him are first, “How does he do that?” Then shortly after, “And why has he done that?”

Upon reaching three figures, Brook appeared to replicate a “beer smash” celebration that was initially made famous by a WWE wrestler named Stone Cold Steve Austin.