Joe Root has been in clinical touch in the inter-World Cup period & remains one of England’s top hopes

Joe Root is one of those batsmen who represent the classical batsmanship but yet can chip in with the much-appreciated acceleration when it comes to the limited-overs variants. Root is deeply rooted in England’s top batting order and even brings more to the game with his captaincy in the longer format.

Root hit a hat-trick of hundreds in the ongoing tour of the Windies with his team ending up victorious on all occasions. The first one (122) came in the third Test in Gros Islet and it was followed by 114 against UWI Vice Chancellor’s XI. And then came the 102 in Bridgetown in the first ODI which England won chasing a steep target of 361.

The 28-year-old right-hand bat who is considered among the top quartet of batsmen in the current era – the other three being Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Steve Smith – has done consistently well since England’s humiliating exit from the World Cup in 2015. Root has scored the most runs for the Three Lions since the WC four years earlier – 3,282 – which is only third best to Kohli (3,996) and Rohit Sharma (3,588). He has scored 10 centuries in this time, averages almost 62 and has a strike rate of 90-plus. These make him one of the top favourites to top the run-getters’ list in the upcoming World Cup at home starting May 30.

Can’t hit sixes like Gayle but still can score quickly

“Everyone has their own style and way of going about things,” he said before the fourth ODI against the Windies in Grenada. “I can’t hit it over the stands like he [Chris Gayle] can consistently unless there is a gale-force wind and I’ve got a top edge off a 95mph bowler. You have to play to your strengths and advantages.”

“Just because I don’t hit as many sixes as others might do, I still feel I can score as quickly. Having that understanding of your own game is important. I might not hit four or five sixes every time I go out, but I like to feel I can strike at a similar sort of rate if I needed to,” Root added.

The five-match ODI series is tied 1-1 at the moment after the third match in Grenada was washed out. England won the first match by 6 wickets while the Caribbeans won the second, also played in Bridgetown, by 26 runs. Root though failed to impress in the fourth match, falling for just five.

[interaction id=”5c713b869551ce5db0447950″]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from Windies vs England series, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.