‘It would’ve felt worse if…’: Joe Root reacts after missing century on 99 in England’s ODI win over India

England batter Joe Root was just one run away from another ODI century, but the experienced batter had no regrets after helping his team seal a crucial victory over India in the second ODI. His unbeaten knock guided England to a four-wicket win in Cardiff and kept the three-match series alive heading into the final match at Lord’s.

Root remained unbeaten on 99 from 133 balls as England chased down India’s target of 234 in 44.1 overs. The hosts reached 234/6 to level the series 1-1, setting up a winner-takes-all contest on Sunday.

Root says winning mattered more than personal milestone

The former England captain was left stranded on 99 after Gus Atkinson hit the winning boundary, denying him a well-deserved century.

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However, Root made it clear that the result meant far more than reaching three figures.

“It would’ve felt a lot worse if we’d lost. That’s why you play to win. And for us to have that carrot ahead of us, winning at Lord’s and the chance to beat the number one team in the world, is really exciting,” Root said after the match.

England happy to win in a different way

Root also felt England showed another side of their game by grinding out a chase instead of relying on their usual aggressive style of batting.

He believes that experience could prove valuable in the future, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon.

“I’m delighted that we found a way of doing it ugly and doing it in a way that probably doesn’t suit a lot of the other guys and what they’re used to doing and how they’re used to playing. It shapes us up really well with what’s to come, and a great experience of a big pressure game ahead of a World Cup in 2027,” he added.

India lose control after strong start

Earlier in the day, India looked set for a much bigger total after Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer produced impressive half-centuries.

The pair scored 66 runs each and helped India reach 178/3, putting the visitors in a strong position.

However, England fought back brilliantly with the ball as India’s batting collapsed dramatically. The visitors lost their final seven wickets for just 55 runs and were eventually bowled out for 233.

Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson starred with three wickets each, while Saqib Mahmood chipped in with two wickets.

Root anchors England’s chase

England’s chase was briefly tested by Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel, who picked up important wickets to keep India in the contest.

Root however maintained his calm throughout the innings, rotating the strike and hitting boundaries whenever required. His unbeaten 99 took England through the finish line comfortably with almost six overs to spare.

With the series now nicely poised at 1-1, both sides move to Lord’s for the third and final ODI where the winners will take the series.