Joe Root has moved past Virat Kohli on the list of the best batting averages in successful ODI run chases, thanks to his unbeaten 99 that took England to a four-wicket win over India in the second ODI at Cardiff. This knock also helped England level the three-match series 1-1, setting up a series decider at Lord’s on July 19.
Root walked in to bat on the very first ball of England’s innings after Ben Duckett was dismissed for a duck by Jasprit Bumrah. Soon after, Prasidh Krishna struck again, and England found themselves in early trouble at 8/2. From there, Root took charge and built the chase brick by brick, facing 133 balls for his 99 runs, which included nine boundaries.
He found good support along the way. Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Gus Atkinson all chipped in with useful partnerships that kept the chase on track. Root and Atkinson put on 38 runs together for the unfinished seventh-wicket stand, and it was Atkinson who hit the winning boundary to seal the match. That shot meant Root was left stranded on 99, just one run short of what would have been another century. In fact, he became the first England batter ever to finish an ODI innings unbeaten on 99, and only the 17th player in the world to be stuck on that score.
What Joe Root Said After The Win
Speaking after the match, Root made it clear that winning mattered far more to him than reaching his hundred. He said being there at the end and finishing the job is one of the best feelings in cricket, and that players don’t play for milestones but to win matches. He also pointed out that the series was now alive, which is exactly what England wanted going into the game.
Root also spoke about how tough the pitch was to bat on throughout the day. He said batting was hard right through the match, and gave credit to England’s bowlers for pulling things back after India’s strong partnership had threatened to run away with the game. He added that the team knew they had to bat time, absorb pressure in phases, and stay calm, even admitting that sometimes you have to win in a scrappy and ugly way, and that this was one of those days.
How India Lost Their Grip On The Game
India were asked to bat first at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, and for a good part of the innings, things went their way. Virat Kohli scored 65 and Shreyas Iyer made 66, and together they built a strong 114-run partnership that took India to 180/3. But then came a sudden collapse. India lost their last seven wickets for just 53 runs and were bowled out for 233.
Jofra Archer was the pick of England’s bowlers with 3 wickets for 47 runs, while Gus Atkinson also took 3 wickets for 50 runs. Jasprit Bumrah stayed unbeaten on 20 at the end and helped India cross the 230-run mark, which turned out to be an important cushion, though not enough in the end.
England’s Chase And The Finish
Chasing 234 to win, England lost Ben Duckett early and slipped to 8/2 inside the first few overs. That is when Root walked in and stayed till the very end. His calm innings guided England home with 20 balls still left to spare, as the hosts finished at 235/6 in 44.1 overs. Will Jacks scored 30, Sam Curran made 26, and Gus Atkinson stayed unbeaten on 23, all playing key roles in support of Root.
The win meant England leveled the three-match series 1-1, and the two sides will now fight it out in a decider at Lord’s on July 19.
Root Now Ahead Of Kohli In Chase Average
The biggest talking point from this match, apart from the win itself, is where Root now stands compared to Kohli when it comes to chasing down targets in ODIs. Among batters with a minimum of 2,000 runs scored in successful ODI chases, Root now sits second on the list, just behind MS Dhoni, and ahead of Kohli.
Here is how the top five batters compare in this list:
| Rank | Player | Average in successful ODI chases |
| 1 | MS Dhoni | 102.71 |
| 2 | Joe Root | 91.59 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | 89.07 |
| 4 | AB de Villiers | 82.77 |
| 5 | Michael Clarke | 73.86 |
Kohli has long been seen as one of the best chasers in ODI cricket, so Root going past him in this list is a big deal. It shows how well Root has been playing under pressure while chasing targets in recent years, not just at Cardiff but across many matches.
Root’s Overall Career Numbers
Joe Root has been one of the most reliable batters in world cricket for over a decade now, across all three formats of the game. His numbers in Test cricket stand out the most, but he has also built a strong ODI record and has played a small number of T20 internationals as well.
Here is a look at his career numbers across formats after the Cardiff ODI:
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | High Score | 100s | 50s |
| Test | 165 | 302 | 14,075 | 50.81 | 262 | 41 | 67 |
| ODI | 189 | 178 | 7,577 | 49.52 | 166 | 20 | 45 |
| T20I | 32 | 30 | 893 | 35.72 | 90 | 0 | 5 |
Root also bowls off-break spin as a part-time option, and he has picked up 73 wickets in Tests, 30 in ODIs, and 6 in T20Is over the years. These numbers show that while he is known mainly as a batter, he has also added value with the ball whenever the team needed a partnership broken or overs to be filled.
Root Closing In On Sachin’s Test Record
Away from ODIs, Root is also chasing one of the biggest records in Test cricket. Sachin Tendulkar finished his career with 15,921 Test runs, and for years that number seemed impossible to catch. But Root has been steadily climbing the charts, and as of early July 2026, his Test tally stood at 14,114 runs from 166 matches.
This means Root now needs less than 2,000 more runs to become the all-time highest run-scorer in Test cricket, a record that has stood since Tendulkar retired. Root has always said he does not play specifically to chase this record, and prefers to focus on winning games for England rather than personal milestones. Still, given his fitness and current form, many believe he could get there within the next couple of years if he keeps playing regularly.
A Player Who Just Keeps Delivering
What makes Root’s story stand out is how simple his approach to batting remains, even after so many years at the top level. He does not chase headlines or personal records during a game, as seen clearly in his reaction after the Cardiff win, where he spoke only about the team’s win and not his own missed century. This mindset, combined with his skill, is likely why he keeps finding ways to add new achievements to his name, whether it is climbing past Kohli in ODI chases or closing in on Tendulkar in Tests.
For India, the focus now shifts to the series decider at Lord’s on July 19, where they will look to bounce back after letting a strong position slip away in Cardiff. For England, Root’s calm finishing under pressure has once again proven to be the difference between winning and losing a close contest.
The post Joe Root Beats Virat Kohli in ODI appeared first on Sportzcraazy.
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