NEW DELHI: Joe Root finished the ODI series against India unbeaten, scoring 249 runs in three innings to guide England to a 2-1 series victory. 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.Across the three-match ODI series against India, Root was England’s batting backbone. 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 387-run total, supporting Ben Duckett’s 141, and accelerating in the death overs.
India had no answer to Joe Root
Joe Root breathed fire against India on his home soil and denied India a fairytale comeback after their 0-4 T20I series loss. In the presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India fought 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? That was the last time England won an ODI series against India, and the hero then was also 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 celebration
For over a decade, Root has been England’s most dependable batter across Tests and ODIs, consistently delivering when the team needed him the most. Now 36, he continues to thrive despite many of his contemporaries, such as Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan, Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen, and most recently Ben Stokes, having already retired from international cricket.The moot point is how Root continues to compete with youngsters the same way he did a decade ago. What is the secret behind his 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 to Ever Play’
“I think he’s simply hungry. He loves playing cricket and is still hungry to score runs. He still has that passion, and he probably wants to cement his status as one of England’s greatest cricketers. With an ODI average above 50 and a Test average over 50, he probably feels he still has a few years left. When he retires, he wants to be remembered as England’s greatest batter,” Monty Panesar told TimesofIndia.com.In the modern T20 era, where batters look to come in, smash the ball, and walk away, Root prefers to stay at the crease and plays like an old-school batter who believes in building an innings rather than throwing away his wicket to a reckless shot.“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 lap sweep over the slips for six. But on pitches like Cardiff, where there’s extra bounce, you have to play a more traditional style of cricket. That’s why his game is so effective. That’s the difference between Joe Root and many of the younger players today,” Monty Panesar added.
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 accumulated 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 resurgence. He has amassed 5,942 runs in 89 matches at an average of 53.05, scoring 20 centuries while rediscovering his best form in both Tests and ODIs.
JOE ROOT
‘Captaincy Changed Root, But It Didn’t Break Him’
“I think his captaincy period was extremely tough. England went through a difficult phase where they won only one of 17 Test matches, and eventually he had to step down. Those difficult moments probably made him stronger. Now he’s enjoying the freedom that comes without the burden of captaincy, and he’s making the most of it because he knows how hard things were during that period. I think those experiences have increased his hunger even further. He wants to continue playing for as long as possible because he’s genuinely enjoying scoring runs for England again,” Monty Panesar stated.
Why Didn’t Root Conquer T20 Cricket?
Whenever Joe Root is compared with the Fab Four, one question is always asked: Why did he fail to dominate T20Is?There is Virat Kohli, who excelled in every format he played. Kane Williamson showcased his class across formats. Steve Smith did the same. But Root has always believed in elegant batting over power-hitting.“I think his game is naturally more suited to the longer formats than T20 cricket, and that’s probably why he hasn’t been as successful in the shortest format. If you compare him with today’s younger batters, their games are built around T20 cricket. Joe Root’s strengths are more suited to Test cricket and ODIs. T20 is probably the hardest format for him because it demands explosive scoring and high-risk shots. On the other hand, his technique and temperament are perfectly suited to Test cricket and ODIs,” Panesar explained.
‘Root is to England what Virat-Rohit are to India’: Kumble
England’s Answer to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
India have heavily relied on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for years. England, meanwhile, have relied on just one man whenever the batting has been under pressure: Joseph Edward Root. After Root’s unbeaten 99 against India in the second ODI, former India captain Anil Kumble said: “What Virat and Rohit are for India, Root is for England.”That 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 go out there and play his attacking shots because he knows Joe Root is at the other end. When Root eventually retires, Brook may have to become more responsible, but right now Root allows the younger players to express themselves. The players know that if things become difficult, Joe Root is still there. It’s similar to what Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have meant for India,” Monty Panesar said.That is probably the biggest compliment any batter can receive. When 10 other players and the coaching staff believe that, as long as you are at the crease, anything is possible, you know you have earned that respect. That is exactly what Root has built throughout his career.If Root goes on to break Sachin Tendulkar‘s all-time Test run record, he needs only 1,807 more runs, wins another ICC title, and helps England reclaim the Ashes at home, there will be very little left for him to achieve in international cricket.As Panesar rightly pointed out: “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: score runs, frustrate bowlers, and prove that classical batting still has a place in the modern game.
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