England batter Joe Root slammed his 18th century in ODI cricket. The former England captain Joe Root reached the three-figure mark in the 2nd ODI against West Indies at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.Joe Root made a statement after England were down to 93-4 while chasing a significant 309. His incredible stand with Will Jacks helped England complete the run-chase. Joe Root set multiple records with his knock.
As mentioned, Joe Root raced his 18th century in ODI cricket. No other Englishman owns even 15 centuries in this regard. The former also has 42 half-centuries in the 50-over format. Overall, Joe Root now has 54 hundreds in international cricket, the joint seventh-most with Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene. The English batter broke a tie with WI legend Brian Lara (53).
Earlier in the innings, Joe Root surpassed Eoin Morgan to become England’s highest run-scorer in ODI cricket.The star batter went past Morgan’s tally of 6,957 runs. Joe Root is now the only England player with 7,000-plus ODI runs. In 179 matches, he owns 7,075 runs at an average of 49.13. He is also England’s leading run-getter in two formats — Tests and ODIs.
Joe Root’s 166* is now his career-best score in ODI cricket. As per ESPNcricinfo, he registered his first 150-plus score in the format. His previous-highest score was 133* that came against Bangladesh at The Oval exactly eight years ago (June 1, 2017).As per ESPNcricinfo, Joe Root also became the first England batter to complete 1,000 runs against West Indies in ODI cricket. In matches against the Windies, Joe Root owns 1,027 runs at 79.00. His tally includes 5 tons and 4 half-centuries.
With so much plethora of records broken in the match by a single man Joe Root,his knock helped England claimed a majestic win over West Indies in Cardiff. He stepped up after England down to 2-2 and then 93-4 in the run-chase of 309. Joe Root slammed a 139-ball 166* (21 fours and 2 sixes), getting England home in 48.5 overs. He added 143 runs with Jacks after the hosts were down 133-5. England eventually won by three wickets.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : Sophia Gardens in Cardiff has hosted 30 ODIs so far. Eight games have been won by teams batting first, while chasing teams have emerged victorious on 18 occasions. 264 is the average first-innings total. Setting a total has proven to be difficult at this venue. Sophia Gardens, Cardiff’s surface has a bit of spice for everyone. There is some early zip for the pacers, especially with the new ball. Seamers will get a little bit of help up front, movement off the deck, some bounce and if there is a bit of cloud cover, maybe even a wobble in the air.
But it is not all doom and gloom for the batters. The track will have good pace early on and if the openers can survive the first 4–5 overs, there are plenty of runs to be had in the powerplay. Expect brisk scoring if the top order gets going. However, batting could get trickier as the innings wears on. The pitch tends to dry out, and that means hitting through the line becomes harder.
The horizontal bat shots Not so easy. Expect spinners and cutters to come into play once the ball loses its shine. Batters will need to adjust quickly or they might find themselves in quicksand during the middle overs. And while Sophia Gardens usually favours teams chasing, the dry nature of the pitch might tempt captains to bat first this time around, especially in a day game where grip and turn could increase later in the second innings.
According to the Accu Weather Cardiff is not bringing its best weather to the party. Expect a passing morning shower or two, but the rest of the day should be dry although windy. The high will touch 17°C and the wind will be blowing at 28 km/h from the west-southwest with gusts up to 57 km/h.
There is a 63% chance of precipitation early on but only about 1.7 mm of rain is expected so we shouldn’t lose much time, if any. Cloud cover will hover around 47%, which could help the bowlers get a bit of movement.
Toss : England skipper Harry Brook won the toss and chose to bowl with one change in the Playing XI bringing in Matthew Potts for Jamie Overton. West Indies skipper Shai Hope batting firsst also decided to go with one change as Shimron Hetmyer returns in place of Amir Jangoo
Keacy Carty’s magnificent century powers West Indies to 308 in 47 overs
Asked to bat, West Indies had an early setback as Jewel Andrew fell in the second over for a duck, with Brydon Carse’s extra bounce doing the job. Both Carse and Saqib Mahmood tested the West Indies batters and the former could have had more wickets had it not been for a couple of dropped chances that reprieved King and Carty. The second wicket pair overcame the challenging phase and began to collect regular boundaries, including four in an over for Carty off Carse, as they helped West Indies to 56 for 1 at the end of the first PowerPlay.
Batting first West Indies faced an early setback in the second over when teenage opener Jewel Andrew was dismissed, bringing Keacy Carty to the crease at number three. Carty then partnered with Brandon King to stabilize the innings, guiding the visitors to 56-1 by the end of the first Powerplay. Carty reached his half-century in the 19th over, achieving the milestone off 59 balls. King also followed suit, getting past his fifty shortly thereafter.
England slowed things down a bit but their fielding did not help as Carty got another lucky break when he was on 41. Both batters crossed the half-century mark and extended their partnership past 199, while King got lucky when England missed a run out chance. The partnership, worth 141, was eventually broken when King handed a catch to long off attempting a big hit off Adil Rashid.
Carty and King began to accelerate their scoring during the middle overs, ultimately forging a 141-run partnership at a run-a-ball pace before King was dismissed. Carty continued his impressive innings, reaching a century off 102 balls before being dismissed for 103 runs from 105 deliveries.
Carty and Shai Hope then put on a useful stand, with the former also bringing up his third ODI hundred this year with a boundary off Bethell. Will Jacks ended Carty’s stay in the 36th over by getting him out stumped, soon after being hit for a six by Hope, which was also the first maximum of the innings. Shimron Hetmyer was next to go, trapped leg-before by Rashid, and took a review with him.
Reaching the century mark Keacy Carty stormed into history books as he notched a massive record for the West Indies, surpassing the legendary Viv Richards. After playing 33 innings in the format, Carty’s total run tally now stands at an impressive 1,403 runs, making him the highest scorer for the West Indies at that stage of an ODI career. Richards, in comparison, had accumulated 1,399 runs in his first 33 ODI innings.
After a few quiet overs, Justin Greaves struck a couple of fours in the 42nd over off Rashid. Hope then reached his fifty with a six off Matthew Potts, followed by a boundary, and also cleared the fence off Bethell. But wickets fell quickly at the other end – Greaves got out to Bethell while Mahmood accounted for Matthew Forde and Roston Chase.
Gudakesh Motie struck four boundaries off Jacks in the 46th over but Rashid got his wicket in the next over, soon after Hope hit another six. Joseph also hit a six and a four in the same over to take West Indies past 300 before falling to Rashid. West Indies folded with 2.2 overs still remaining as Hope got out to a slower ball from Mahmood.
Joe Root’s career best 166* powers England to series win over clueless WI
West Indies were off to a great start with the ball. Jayden Seales got Jamie Smith to edge behind while Ben Duckett was caught at third-man off Forde, with both the openers getting out without scoring, only the second such instance for England in a home ODI.
The hosts got a move on in the chase with Harry Brook getting some hits to the ropes going, including a six and two fours off Forde in the sixth over. There were also lucky breaks as Joe Root was saved by umpire’s call for a leg-before review by West Indies and Hope put down a tough chance to provide a reprieve to Brook.
England’s pursuit got off to a disastrous start as openers Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett were dismissed for ducks. Jayden Seales and Matthew Forde struck early, reducing the hosts to nought for two and handing the early initiative to the West Indies. Captain Harry Brook led a spirited counterattack, playing fluently as he attempted to steady the ship.
At the other end, Joe Root adopted a measured approach, taking his time to settle in. Just as Harry Brook looked poised to reach a half-century, Alzarri Joseph removed him with a well-directed short ball for 44 in the 12th over. The West Indies pacer struck again two overs later, dismissing Jos Buttler for a duck and leaving England in deep trouble at 56 for four.
Joe Root, however, remained unflustered. He found a willing partner in Jacob Bethell as the pair sought to rebuild. Root reached his second fifty of the series with a mixture of calm rotation and assertive strokeplay. Bethell, though, could not convert his start and was dismissed against the run of play by Roston Chase for 17 off 28 deliveries – a setback that once more tilted the balance in the visitors’ favour.
Joe Root, who had a slow start, got going with four fours in an over off Forde. The pace of the innings picked up but West Indies hit back by ending the 85-run stand as Joseph got Brook with a short delivery, dismissing him three short of a fifty, and in his next over had Jos Buttler bowled for a duck. Joe Root went past fifty and also became England’s leading run-getter in ODIs, surpassing Eoin Morgan, but wickets continued to fall at the other end as Bethell missed a flick off Chase to be out LBW, leaving the home side at 133 for 5 in the 24th over.
With wickets tumbling around him, Root held firm. The West Indies’ spin duo of Gudakesh Motie and Chase struggled to maintain consistent pressure, offering too many scoring opportunities. Root took full advantage, rotating the strike effectively and dispatching the loose deliveries. He soon brought up his 18th ODI hundred – an innings that underscored his value in England’s middle order, particularly in high-pressure situations.
At the other end, Will Jacks offered composed support. Batting with maturity, he focused on building a meaningful partnership rather than seeking risky strokes. Together, Root and Jacks compiled a crucial 133-run stand for the sixth wicket, which gradually deflated the West Indies’ attack and turned the match decisively in England’s favour.
England regained traction as Jacks got together with Joe Root and put on a brisk partnership. Joe Root was the aggressor in the sixth wicket stand, with the experienced batter striking a six and a four off Motie to bring up a 98-ball hundred, his 18th in ODI cricket, as England crossed 200 in the 36th over. Joe Root’s shift into a higher gear in the subsequent overs put England firmly in command. A flurry of boundaries and a six off Greaves brought the required rate below six heading into the last nine overs.
With the game drifting away, Joseph returned to the attack and delivered once more. He trapped Jacks leg-before for 49, denying the all-rounder a deserved half-century, and later added another wicket to finish with superb figures of four for 31 from his ten overs – a performance that stood out in an otherwise inconsistent bowling display. Jacks, though, missed out on a fifty by a solitary run, as he was trapped in front by Joseph as West Indies tried to claw back into the game.
Joe Root reached 150 off 129 balls when he hit a four off Forde but Joseph continued to keep West Indies interested, bagging his fourth wicket with the dismissal of Carse, leaving England needing 21 off 24 with three wickets left. The pressure eased on England with Rashid and Joe Root collecting boundaries, with the latter sealing the victory in the 49th over with another four.
Despite Joseph’s efforts, the lack of support from the other bowlers allowed Joe Root to guide England home. His control and game management in the latter stages ensured there were no further alarms, as the hosts completed the chase with three wickets in hand and seven balls remaining.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Harry Brook the winning England skipper said : He is only getting better with age. Amazing to have Joe in the side. Didn’t quite go our way. We created some chances. We bowled well in the powerplay, just didn’t go to hand. Jacks is a proper batter. He can score hundreds. He can hit over cover and square leg. That partnership won us the game. The boys are well together. Lot of good lads there. Nice to get the win.
Shai Hope the losing WI skipper said : Was good to see King getting runs. And of course Carty. He has the ability. It is the consistency coming through now.. The position we were in around the 30-over mark, we should have scored 30-40 more runs. The bowlers were commendable. The wickets were the key. Very difficult to restrict in these conditions.
Joe Root Player of the Match for match winning career best 166 runs said : Â From being 2 for 2, it was nice to be till the end. Lot of stuff wrapped into this. Made for a great game of cricket. Bowlers were always in the game. It was an interesting wicket. It was about managing different situations. Alzarri bowled brilliantly. The way Jacks played was exceptional. There is enough there to keep wanting to go.
I want to get better everyday. As long as there is fire in the belly, you are good to go. The way Harry has come in and put his stamp on it is really good. Got us off to a brilliant start and ended up being a successful powerplay. You will see him as a great player and a great leader in times to come.
Joe Root’s career-best 166 off 139 balls, laced with 21 fours and two sixes, overshadowed Keacy Carty’s 103, and a spirited bowling effort from Alzarri Joseph (4-31) as England clinched the series against West Indies with a three-wicket win in the second ODI in Cardiff. West Indies posted a competitive 308 and put up a strong fight with the ball, but Root’s heroics proved too much to overcome, with England reaching the target with seven balls to spare.
England did not quite turn their back on Joe Root as a limited-overs batter, but certainly the schedule threatened to axe him from white-ball cricket.
A couple of crises and a change of management later, here Root was in Cardiff, unfurling perhaps the best of his 18 ODI hundreds, a career-best 166 not out. His first 42 runs put him top of the pile of English run-scorers in the format, usurping Eoin Morgan’s tally of 6957, before the rest iced a chase of 309 to secure a series win over West Indies with a game to spare.
This was Joe Root’s second hundred in his eighth innings since returning to the 50-over format this year, ahead of an admittedly disastrous ICC Champions Trophy. Not only is he averaging 30 runs more than his overall average of 49.18, but his strike rate is also ten points higher. An immaculate straight drive, his 23rd boundary of a fever-dream knock, confirmed victory with three wickets and seven balls to spare.
This second ODI did not, all told, seem befitting for Joe Root’s historic brilliance. Mainly because, for the first half, it seemed to belong to West Indies – specifically Keacy Carty’s 103, the centrepiece of West Indies’ 308 all out. Skipper Shai Hope’s 78 at the end and Brandon King’s 59 up top were vital bookends.
An absolute masterclass from Joe Root seals England’s win and he walks off to a rousing reception from the dressing room. To be fair, he had a huge slice of luck after umpire Adrain Holdstock turned down what looked a pretty straightforward LBW decision on 7, had a couple of close run-out chances going his way, but he then turned imperious. 21 fours and 2 sixes dotted what was truly a memorable career-best knock, but West Indies will wonder where it all went wrong.
The new ball swung and Alzarri Joseph was all fire and brimstone – as many as three of England’s top-5 were sent packing for ducks and they had reduced the hosts to 133 for 5 at one stage. Will Jacks then joined Joe Root to add an invaluable 143 runs for the 6th wicket, Alzarri came back, breathed fire and gave his team hope, but there was no stopping Joe Root, the right-hander staying firm and guiding his team home.
The West Indies will look back at the unplayed 14 balls at the end of the innings, the collapse which meant they finished on 308 and not 325+ as perhaps reasons for today’s loss. They were outclassed three days ago, but they played their part in a classic contest today.A tame one-sided contest in Birmingham, an equal contest between bat and ball in Cardiff, The third match at London would be an exciting affair on Kenington Oval with WI trying to avoid the whitewash and England on the other hand aiming for yet another clean sweep .
Also Read:Â ENG vs WI: England & West Indies Aim For A Quick Turn Around In ODIs