Joe Root and Harry Brook led England to a 2-1 ODI series win over Sri Lanka.
The Yorkshire pair helped England bounce back from defeat in the first one-day international under challenging batting conditions.
Root in particular showed his class as he scored two half-centuries and a century across the three games.
Joe Root: The master of Asia
Fans are very lucky to witness a modern-day great still ply his trade in Test cricket and ODI cricket. The Yorkshire man was superb in all three games, finishing with an average of 82. Firstly, it is widely documented that English batsmen tend to struggle with spin bowling.
However, that isn’t the case with Joe Root. The former England captain has become a master of playing spin on tough sub-continent pitches. Root’s ability to rotate and his array of sweeps, both orthodox and reverse laps makes him a nightmare for bowlers in Asia.
As well as this, Root has cemented his place as one of England’s best cricket players. He is currently the highest scorer for England in both Test and ODI cricket.
Furthermore, Joe Root has scored the most centuries for England in both formats. Despite his form dipping during England’s last World Cup defence in 2023, Joe Root remains a vital part of England’s setup in the white-ball format. Meanwhile, Root is hunting down Sachin Tendulkar’s record of scoring the most runs in Test cricket and is closing in on his record of 15,921 runs.
Harry Brook shines after tough winter tours of New Zealand and Australia
Whilst Joe Root has been praised for his contributions in Sri Lanka, Harry Brook is another who has impressed. The England captain led from the front with his batting, especially in the second ODI, where he curbed his attacking instincts on a tough spinning wicket.
However, in the third ODI, Brook showed off his flair, smashing 136 runs off 66 balls, helping England post a competitive total. Meanwhile, Harry Brook’s captaincy was excellent as he utilised his spin options to restrict Sri Lanka throughout the series.
It has been a difficult few months for Harry Brook. First, it was revealed that he was involved in an altercation with a nightclub security guard one day before the third ODI against New Zealand. As well as this, his rash shot selection in the Ashes led fans and pundits alike to question the Yorkshireman’s reckless mindset. However, the Sri Lanka ODI series shows that Brook is being more selective with his shots as he batted alongside Joe Root.
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