ENG vs NZ: Joe Root's Rock-Solid Fifty Keeps England Afloat vs New Zealand

Root attempting the reverse scoop [Twitter]

After a successful 2019 World Cup campaign, Joe Root started the 2023 edition with a magnificent fifty, that has kept England's hopes alive for a big score against New Zealand.

With wickets tumbling at regular intervals, Root held one end for England and has consolidated the England innings after the quick wickets of Harry Brook and Moeen Ali.

It was a typical Root innings, wherein he found the gaps at will and found the odd boundaries when needed. He stitched a quick-fire 30 run partnership alongside Brook, and then found an able partner in Jos Buttler, as the duo resurrected the stuttering England wickets after a couple of quick wickets.

The hall-mark of Root's fifty was his trademark reverse scoop, which he attempted against Trent Boult. This was Root's 37th fifty in ODI cricket, and in the process he also accumulated 1,000 ODI runs against the Kiwis.

Talking about the match, England started on a bright note, with Jonny Bairstow taking the early charge. However, wickets in the middle-phase changed the phase of the match, before the duo of Root and Buttler started the repair work for the defending champions.

---

ALSO READ

[Watch] Joe Root Reverse Scoops Trent Boult For An Audacious Six Over Third Man

---