Ruthless Root Keeps England Top Of World

Chris Stocks witnesses an impressive turnaround from a team that started the summer with a loss to Scotland

The final challenge of the summer for England’sone-day team proved the sternest. So the fact they came through it with flying colours bodes extremely well for next year’s World Cup.

After being hammered by eight wickets in the first match of this series at Trent Bridge, it took a matter of days for Eoin Morgan’s team to reassert their authority and underline their status as the world’s No1 team.

Key was the return to form of Joe Root, who broke a run of eight innings without a fifty to conjure up back-to-back unbeaten centuries that set up victories at Lord’s and Headingley.

As the world’s No.2-ranked team, India were always going to be a tough nut to crack. But the added challenge of left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav gave Morgan’s men a completely new problem to deal with.

Kuldeep caused chaos in the first match of the series at Trent Bridge, with his haul of 6-25 destroying England.

That he was so quickly neutralised – in the series decider at Headingley he was completely shut out to go wicketless – was credit to the ability of England’s batsmen to adapt quickly and nullify Kuldeep’s unique threat.

The bowlers, too, must take great credit after restricting India to totals of 236 and 256-8 in the final two matches.