Batting first in this match played on Tuesday 22 September, England lost the wicket of opener Tom Banton in the third over itself. Then Joe Root entered at number three, who continued his recent form in the ODI format and started well and soon crossed the 40-run mark, while also taking the team beyond 100 runs.

Successful in stopping the route after 8 years

But when it seemed that Root would once again complete 50 runs against Sri Lanka, then Sri Lanka’s new leg spinner Sachindu Kolombage clean bowled him. Root returned to the pavilion after scoring 44 runs in 52 balls. This wicket was special because 28 year old Sachindu was making his debut in international cricket and he made Joe Root his first victim.

But this achievement of Sachindu was also special because after 8 years, no Sri Lankan bowler could dismiss Joe Root before his half-century in ODI cricket. Before this match, in 2018, Dushmantha Chameera had dismissed Root for just 10 runs. After this, in 6 out of the next 7 matches, Sri Lankan Joe Root scored 5 half-centuries and 1 century and only after that the Sri Lankan bowlers could dismiss him. Only once did Root get out for only 3 runs but then he was run out.

Big achievement in international cricket

But before this, Root himself also made some achievements in his name. This was the 7th consecutive innings in ODI cricket, in which Root scored 40 runs or more. No other batsman from England has been able to do this till date. During this innings, Root also completed his 23 thousand runs in international cricket and became the first batsman for England and the 8th in the world to do so.