February 6, 2025: England batter Joe Root’s return to One-Day International (ODI) cricket proved to be a disappointing one, as he faced another challenging spell against India’s spinner Ravindra Jadeja during the first ODI at Nagpur on Thursday.
Root’s 31-ball stay at the crease came after England lost the wicket of Phil Salt, but his scoring opportunities were effectively restricted by the Indian bowlers. Root could only manage a single boundary against Kuldeep Yadav before being trapped leg-before by Jadeja, breaking a crucial 44-run partnership with England’s captain, Jos Buttler.
Against Jadeja, Root’s struggles have been evident, as he has faced the left-arm spinner in 10 previous innings in ODIs. Root has scored 133 runs off 115 balls but has been dismissed four times, resulting in an average of just 28.75 and a strike rate of 86.46. This ongoing battle against Jadeja highlights Root’s vulnerability to spinners in the format.
Once a stalwart in England’s ODI side, Root played a key role in their historic 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup victory. However, his recent form in ODIs has been disappointing. In the 29 ODIs he has played since the start of 2020, Root has accumulated 685 runs in 26 innings at an average of 28.54, with six half-centuries, his best score being 86. This decline has had an impact on his overall ODI stats, with his batting average—once at 51.36 at the end of 2019—dropping to 47.39. In 172 matches, he has scored 6,541 runs in 161 innings, with 16 centuries and 39 fifties, but his recent performances suggest a dip in form.
England won the toss and opted to bat first in the match, but the focus was not solely on Root’s struggles. The ODI series marks a shift in focus for both teams, as they aim to finalize their squads for the upcoming Champions Trophy. India, coming off a dominant 4-1 victory in the T20I series, made a few changes, including the inclusion of debutants Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana, both receiving their maiden caps before the toss.
India’s squad was slightly affected by the absence of Virat Kohli, who missed the match due to a knee issue, along with Rishabh Pant, whose absence meant that KL Rahul would take on wicketkeeping duties. Meanwhile, England’s lineup featured only one change from the T20I squad, with Joe Root replacing Jamie Overton.
England’s Playing XI: Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (C), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.
India’s Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami.
As the ODI series unfolds, both teams will be looking to test their final combinations ahead of the Champions Trophy, with players like Root needing to rediscover their form to remain key figures in the upcoming international fixtures.