England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook has called on his team to follow the example set by Joe Root as they aim to secure a one-day international (ODI) series victory against top-ranked India. After England leveled the three-match series with a win in Cardiff on Thursday, Brook emphasized the importance of learning from Root’s approach to 50-over cricket.

Root played a crucial role in England’s 86-run victory in Cardiff, contributing an unbeaten 99 runs after scoring 76 not out in the opening ODI defeat. This win ended a challenging run for England, who had lost 16 of their previous 20 ODIs. The strong performance has raised hopes that the team can regain form ahead of next year’s 50-over World Cup in southern Africa, despite recent concerns over their consistency with an aggressive batting style.

The 35-year-old Root, who has amassed 7,752 runs in 191 ODIs with 20 centuries, acknowledged the difficulties faced by younger players adapting to one-day cricket. He pointed out that changes in the domestic schedule have limited emerging players’ exposure to 50-over formats, reducing their experience and understanding of the game. Brook, a Yorkshire teammate of Root, noted that even accomplished internationals like Root continue to seek improvement.

“Joe Root has played nearly 200 ODIs and is still learning and trying to get better as a player. He’s England’s greatest-ever batter,” Brook said at a press conference at Lord’s. When asked if England had become overly dependent on Root, Brook agreed that the team had leaned heavily on their senior player in both ODI and Test formats but expressed optimism that others could emulate his style.

“Hopefully, the boys can learn from what Joe is doing—how easy he makes batting look, especially rotating the strike. If we can incorporate a bit of Joe Root’s approach collectively, we will find ourselves in strong positions,” Brook added.

Meanwhile, England are in the process of appointing a new Test coach following the dismissal of Brendon McCullum, who remains in charge of the white-ball squads. McCullum’s tenure ended after England lost the recent Test series against New Zealand 2-1, marking seven defeats in their last nine Test matches.

When questioned about the team’s priorities for the new Test coach, Brook highlighted the need to improve consistency and control in the longer format. “Test cricket is a five-day game, and we want to put ourselves in strong positions as often as possible to dominate,” he said, stressing the importance of steadiness after recent erratic performances.

England’s focus now shifts to the final ODI against India at Lord’s, with Brook and his teammates looking to complete a series win by building on Root’s example.