Stats: Joe Root comes next to MS Dhoni for best averages in successful run-chases after Cardiff heroics

Joe Root has moved into second place on the list of batters with the highest batting average in successful ODI run-chases after his match-defining unbeaten 99 at Cardiff on Thursday. The English veteran now stands at 91.59 following his composed innings on a tricky Sophia Gardens pitch as England pursued 234 against India. Root's breakthrough arrival in this exclusive club, which tracks batters with at least 2,000 runs in successful chases, places him behind only MS Dhoni's extraordinary 102.71, with Virat Kohli occupying third spot at 89.07.

Root battled 133 balls and hit nine boundaries in an innings marked by discipline and situational awareness rather than aggression. He arrived with England just one delivery into the chase after Ben Duckett fell to a golden duck from Jasprit Bumrah, setting the tone for what would become a masterclass in chase construction. Facing early chaos, Root anchored England's recovery and steered them home with 35 deliveries to spare. Though Gus Atkinson's boundary left Root one run short of a 21st ODI century, the veteran showed no disappointment – the objective mattered far more.

Highest average in successful run-chases in ODIs (Min. 2000 runs)

Data last updated: Thursday, July 16, 2026

His effort earned him the Player of the Match accolade, recognising a knock that swung a series-deciding moment England's way. The 35-year-old's fourth successive fifty-plus score demonstrated yet again why he remains England's most reliable finisher in the 50-over format when conditions demand patience and tactical acumen.

This was Root's 67th fifty-plus score and fifth in succession. Root has accumulated 286 runs across his last three unbeaten ODI innings following knocks of 111 not out in Sri Lanka in January and 76 not out in Tuesday's six-wicket defeat to India in the series opener at Edgbaston. His track record in chase situations now speaks for itself: when opportunities to rebuild and construct an innings emerge, few batters match his consistency and poise.

The series resets at Lord's on Sunday, July 19, with everything on the line. Both teams arrive with momentum swinging England's way after Root's intervention, yet India's recent history of quick turnarounds means the decider remains genuinely competitive. This third and final ODI will determine which side takes the trophy and the bragging rights that accompany a bilateral series win on English soil.