00:01Some news in the cricket now. Joe Root once again proved why he remains England's most dependable and decorated batter,
00:11producing an unbeaten 99 to guide his side to a four-wicket victory over India in Cardiff and level the
00:19ODI series at 1-1.
00:22Chasing around 250, England were far from convincing for long periods, losing early wickets and struggling to build any real
00:32momentum on a testing surface.
00:35While others came and went, it was Joe Root who played that anchor role to perfection. His 133 ball innings
00:45featured just nine boundaries, but he kept the runs ticking over with composure and smart strike rotation and calm decision
00:54making as well.
00:55England desperately needed the result, but he was left stranded one short of his century when Gus Atkinson hit a
01:03winning boundary, although Joe Root made it clear afterwards that securing victory mattered more than any individual accolades.
01:12Although I'm sure he would have wanted that 100 runs. The fans in the stadium definitely wanted that, but England
01:19had familiar concerns. The top order really failed to fire consistently and the batting lacked any fluency at all.
01:28That includes captain Harry Brooks, who came in at number three, but failed to get going for the second ODI
01:35in a row.
01:36If England are to become a genuine force again in ODI cricket, they will need more support from their senior
01:43stars.
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