Root ‘getting better with age’ – the numbers behind his ODI brilliance

Joe Root “is only getting better with age,” according to England captain Harry Brook, is likely to give bowlers all over the world chills.

Root’s epic 166 not out against West Indies in Cardiff, a title he also holds in Tests, made him the top run-scorer in one-day internationals over Eoin Morgan, the world’s best captain.

When England were trailing at 133-5 in the pursuit of a victory of 309, he withstood all of West Indies’ pressure.

A Yorkshireman’s 98-ball century was raised after the Yorkshireman reached it comfortably with a six and a four before he sprinted into the next gear in his stand of 143 with Will Jacks, which left the helpless bowlers at his mercy.

He is unbelievable and only getting better as he gets older, according to Brook, who added an 85 for Root and kept Root’s slipstream in a flawless knock while making 47 and adding an 85 for the third wicket.

He’s a great player and a great bloke, and I admire him for it. He exerts the most effort among all the people I’ve met.

When asked what the milestone meant, Root improved Morgan’s tally of 6, 957 runs to 42, before adding that there is still room for improvement with his record of 18 426 runs, which Sachin Tendulkar holds.

When that’s not a burning desire for me any more, it’ll be time to stop, said 34-year-old Root, “Until that desire, that desire to turn up and get better every day and add to the group – the desire to be not out at the end of a chase like that,” said the 34-year-old.

“But that’s not the case right now, and it doesn’t seem to be.” I’ll continue to work with the intention of helping us win games and, hopefully, win series.

West Indies controlled the majority of the second ODI by making three catches in the opening 20 overs before two run-out chances, followed by Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, and Jos Buttler, who all managed to score three ducks in the chase.

However, Root’s class dominated, making his 18th ODI century almost certainly one of his best.

Former England fast bowler Steven Finn told BBC Test Match Special, “We are running out of things to say. He’s just on this constant journey of ticking everything off before him.”

He now stands head and shoulders above the competition, and his innings today demonstrates that.

turning the strike over

Only two batters have a higher non-boundary strike-rate than Root (minimum of 2,000 non-boundary runs) since his first appearance in ODIs. Root leads all non-boundary balls with a strike-rate of 59.89, followed by England’s Jos Buttler, who is second with 63.77, and South African’s AB de Villiers (65.77).

high management

Root has only a 11.1% false-shot rate in ODIs since the start of 2018. Only one batter in world cricket has a lower false-shot percentage than Root-New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (11%) in matches between Full Member countries.

Great against spin

Root has the next best English batter in terms of runs (70.3) in his ODI career. Buttler is the next best (52). Only five batters have ever allowed fewer than 1,500 runs against spin in ODI history: Babar Azam (Pakistan), Mike Hussey (Australia), MS Dhoni (India), Michael Bevan (Australia), Shai Hope (West Indies), and Michael Bevan (Australia). Only Dhoni out of these has scored more runs against spin than Root, and none of them have had a higher strike-rate than Root’s 90.

runs on solid balls

Root averages 47.7% against deliveries outside of the channel off stump and 77 against those that are delivered. On this line, the typical right-handed batter has only 33 pitches on average. Root capitalizes on the width, scoring a score of 94.5 and striking a score of 109 when the ball is wider than that.

Master of the middle overs

Between overs 11-40, Root averages 66.6 at a strike rate of 87. Only two batters in international cricket have allowed more than 2 000 runs on average and at a strike-rate higher than Root’s (Iran’s Virat Kohli, 70.7, S/R 93), and De Villiers, 68.9, S/R 97).

constantly evolving