Root 'getting better with age' - the numbers behind his ODI brilliance

England skipper Harry Brook's appraisal that Joe Root "is only getting amended pinch age" is apt to nonstop shivers down nan spines of bowlers each astir nan world.

Root surpassed World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan to go England's starring run-scorer successful one-day internationals during his epic 166 not out against West Indies successful Cardiff, a title he besides holds successful Tests.

He came to nan crease successful nan first over, and withstood each of West Indies' unit erstwhile England were connected nan ropes astatine 133-5 successful pursuit of 309 to win.

A 98-ball period was raised having hardly surgery a sweat, reaching it successful style pinch a six and a four, earlier nan Yorkshireman glided into nan adjacent cogwheel successful his guidelines of 143 pinch Will Jacks which saw nan helpless bowlers astatine his mercy.

"He's unbelievable and he's only getting amended pinch property arsenic well," said Brook, who made 47 and added a counter-attacking 85 for nan 3rd wicket pinch Root, who stayed successful his skipper's slipstream successful a perfectly paced knock.

"He's personification I look up to, he's specified an astonishing player, specified an astonishing bloke. He useful nan hardest retired of anyone I've seen.

"Nothing's ever correct and he's ever trying to get amended - he's nan cleanable domiciled exemplary for immoderate young cricketer retired there."

Upon reaching 42, Root bettered Morgan's tally of 6,957 runs and pinch emblematic modesty said it felt for illustration "a motion of getting old" erstwhile asked astir what nan milestone meant - earlier adding location is plentifulness much successful nan vessel arsenic acold arsenic his early successful nan format is concerned, though he is still immoderate measurement from reaching Sachin Tendulkar's grounds of 18,426.

"Until that desire, that want to move up and get amended each time and adhd to nan group – nan want to beryllium not retired astatine nan extremity of a pursuit for illustration that – erstwhile that's not a burning desire for maine immoderate more, it'll beryllium clip to stop," said 34-year-old Root.

"But that's not nan lawsuit astatine nan infinitesimal and doesn't consciousness for illustration it's anyplace adjacent nan case. I will support conscionable trying to do my portion successful helping america triumph games and hopefully triumph series."

Much of nan 2nd ODI belonged to West Indies: England spilled 3 catches wrong nan first 20 overs, missed 2 tally retired chances and past Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Jos Buttler each made ducks successful nan chase.

But Root's people prevailed, his 18th ODI period almost surely 1 of his finest.

"We are moving retired of things to say, he's conscionable connected this changeless travel of ticking everything disconnected earlier him," erstwhile England accelerated bowler Steven Finn told BBC Test Match Special.

"Now he's caput and shoulders supra nan remainder and nan innings he played coming signified his position successful that.

"He was truthful wished to beryllium location astatine nan extremity and nan measurement he publication nan situation, soaked up pressure, saw group autumn astir him - West Indies had nary answer."

Ticking nan onslaught over

Since his debut successful ODIs, only 2 batters person a higher non-boundary strike-rate than Root (minimum of 2,000 non-boundary runs). Off non-boundary balls, Root has a strike-rate of 59.89, England's Jos Buttler is 2nd pinch 63.77 and astatine nan apical is South Africa's AB de Villiers (65.70).

High control

Since nan commencement of 2018, Root has a false-shot percent of only 11.1% successful ODIs. In matches betwixt Full Member nations, only 1 batter successful world cricket has a little false-shot percent than Root - New Zealand's Kane Williamson (11%).

Great against spin

Root averages 70.3 against rotation successful his ODI profession - nan adjacent highest English batter is Buttler (52). In ODI history, only 5 batters mean higher against rotation than Root for a minimum of 1,500 runs - Mike Hussey (Australia), MS Dhoni (India), Michael Bevan (Australia), Shai Hope (West Indies) and Babar Azam (Pakistan). Of these, only Dhoni has scored much runs against rotation than Root, while nary of them person scored astatine a higher strike-rate than Root's 90.

Scores runs disconnected bully balls

In his ODI career, Root averages 47.7 against deliveries successful nan transmission extracurricular disconnected stump and scores astatine a strike-rate of 77 against them. The mean right-handed batter averages only 33 connected this line. When nan shot is wider than that, Root cashes successful connected nan width, scoring astatine an mean of 94.5 and striking astatine 109.

Master of nan mediate overs

Between overs 11-40, Root averages 66.6 astatine a onslaught complaint of 87. Only 2 batters successful world cricket person scored astatine an mean and a strike-rate higher than Root's for a minimum of 2,000 runs – India's Virat Kohli (ave 70.7, S/R 93) and De Villiers (ave 68.9, S/R 97).

Always evolving

In ODIs until nan extremity of 2015, Root had 7 dismissals playing nan reverse expanse astatine an mean of conscionable 7.4. Since nan commencement of 2016, he has averaged 158 pinch nan shot. Previously, he utilized to scope retired good successful beforehand while playing nan reverse sweep, pinch an mean interception constituent of 2.10m from nan stumps. Since nan commencement of 2016, that has travel overmuch person astatine 1.77m.