Joe Root hits ODI average above 50; only second after ABD to do it

Joe Root made history on 14 July at Edgbaston when his unbeaten 76 steered England to 258 after a mid-innings collapse against India in the first ODI.

What happened in Birmingham?

Root walked in at 108 for six and paired with Liam Dawson for 121 runs in 134 balls to haul England from the brink. His 76 off 76 balls included six fours and one six, and he finished unbeaten as the hosts posted a defendable 258. The innings lifted Root’s ODI average past 50 for the first time in his 190-match career.

Why this matters for Joe Root

Root is now the second man in cricket’s history to average 50-plus in both Test and ODI cricket, matching AB de Villiers. In Tests he already sits second on the all-time run list with 14,114 runs at 50.58. His ODI numbers now read 7,653 runs at 50.01, with 20 centuries and 46 half-centuries. Only Virat Kohli has a higher ODI average, but his Test average slipped below 50 after January 2025.

How Root compares to Kohli and ABD

Kohli’s peak spanned March 2017 to March 2022, when both his ODI and Test averages stayed above 50. ABD retired in 2018 having cleared 50 in both formats. Root’s T20I average sits at 35.72 from 32 games, far behind Kohli’s 58.50 in the shortest format.

What comes next for Joe Root

Root must keep his ODI average above 50 to avoid following Kohli’s late-career drop. England’s next five ODIs against India start on 17 July in Lord’s, where Root will aim to extend his rare double-average feat.