‘I Was DesPerate tO COntrIbute’
SMASHING JOE’S TOPPING ODI TON CHARTS
JOE ROOT’s ton set up the oneday series as England hit back with a vengeance at Lord’s.
A very gritty knock from the Yorkshireman provided the perfect platform for Eoin Morgan & Co. as they turned the tables on the tourists with a no-nonsense 86-run triumph.
Root saw his team through to the bitter end, paving the way for England to gain revenge for their drubbing at Trent Bridge.
Along with a restrained halfcentury from skipper Morgan – and a vital late maiden international 50 from David Willey – the total enabled the bowlers to apply the brakes to India’s free-scoring batsmen.
But they were only able to do so because Root defiantly refused to budge, a 12th hundred in this format drawing him level with Marcus Trescothick (below) in England’s ODI ton table. When he was eventually run out from the last ball of the innings, his 113 had enabled the hosts to post their fourth highest one-day score at Lord’s.
Mystery spinner Kuldeep Yadav again grabbed three wickets – to go with six he took in Nottingham – but he went for almost seven-anover as England wrestled back the initiative.
It sets up the series for a juicy decider at Headingley on Tuesday.
They had been taught a painful lesson in the east Midlands and after a relatively watchful start by the openers, Kuldeep removed both.
Morgan (53) kept Root company as the pair posted a century stand but the middle order came and went.
It was only when Willey (50 not out) came to the wicket that the pace of the innings improved and his unbeaten knock from only 31 balls saw England race to well over 300.
India were quick out of the blocks but Rohit Sharma hit out wildly – and missed – leaving Mark Wood to draw first blood.
Shikhar Dhawan then slashed Willey to gully where Ben Stokes held on and Jos Buttler brilliantly took an inside edge to remove KL Rahul – the first of four scalps for Liam Plunkett.
England’s spinners then set to work – and proved far more miserly than India’s. They slowed the pace – and Moeen Ali took the vital wicket of skipper Virat Kohli.
Eventually, the innings was strangled with Adil Rashid also joining the party.
When MS Dhoni – India’s last realistic hope – holed out the game was up. JOE ROOT saluted England’s ruthlessness – and predicted there is more to come.
The centurion remained at the crease until the last ball, his 113 the focal point of the total.
But he also paid tribute to skipper Eoin Morgan and David Willey – with whom he shared matchwinning partnerships. Root said: “I was desperate to contribute to us winning games of cricket and today was an opportunity to do that.
“As a group we were smart in making a good total. We didn’t go too hard too early.
“And the way Eoin played, followed up by David, was perfect really.
“He came out and put pressure straight back in the Indian team. It was a fabulous effort. We felt the surface was always going to deteriorate quickly.
“We had the better of it but then the way we went about it with the ball was outstanding.
“That ruthless side of this one-day team really came out today and you will see that more and more with this group and hopefully we can back that up and finish the season strongly.”