Root performed brilliantly in the group stage of the 2019 World Cup and has since expanded his game. Photo: ICC/Gareth Copley
Ask Joe Root remembers the 2019 World Cup final and still gets giddy thinking about how England crossed the line.
“It’s a pinch yourself when sit down and think about it. . We had no right to win, but that makes it a little sweeter.”
Push him into his own performance, however, and he becomes pretty clear. “I just had a shocking day with the bat.”
It was Root's first work in England on free-to-air television, a grand stage on which he could showcase his talent to a wider audience. Root struggled to hit seven off 30 balls in 40 agonizing minutes, tied up by Colin de Grandhomme's 75mph dobbers – “my kryptonite,” he admits – which was perfect for a terrifyingly slow delivery that would have given the MCC a whole heap critics. if both teams hadn't risen above that. “The most boring game of all time,” recalls Ruth. “Until it became the greatest game of all time.”
Personally, Root did not cover himself in glory at the 2019 World Cup final. Photo: GETTY IMAGES/Clive Mason
When you rewatch footage of that last half hour, your pulse still quickens, even four years later, and you're fully aware of what happened next. That sets up great anticipation for Thursday's rematch, which opens the World Cup in Ahmedabad.
Yes, both teams have played many times since then, but tournament cricket is different and New Zealand is still simmering with a sense of injustice. This is what I discovered recently while trying to coax Trent Boult's memories of the 2019 final when he stepped over the rope while holding the ball off Ben Stokes – one of those big 'what if' moments. He really didn't want to talk about it. “This is final cricket,” he said, before a change of subject was needed.
On a personal level, Boult had a much better day than Root, but of course, the important thing in a final is winning. “This game will still be one of my most treasured games and favorite moments on the cricket field,” says Root.
This is the beauty of cricket, a sport that relies so much on the individual touch or delivery of each ball, yet it remains a team game. “It was one of the most disappointing innings I've played as an England player, one of the days when you really want to stand up and be counted but there are so many times where individually you fail but are part of something bigger than yourself. and your comrades will pull you out,” says Ruth.
“When playing, you don’t want to live too much in the past. I'm sure one day I'll turn into Geoffrey Boycott and say, “That's what we did back in the day,” but as long as you're playing there's always a new challenge and something to sink your teeth into.”
' ; We never had a chance to celebrate'
You can understand why Ruth has slightly mixed feelings. The World Championship victory remains the highlight of his career, a great day and the culmination of a four-year plan. But he failed to assemble essentially the same group of players for the subsequent Ashes series. England were given no time to recover. Five days later they returned to Lord's for a Test against Ireland and were bowled out by 85 points. Just over two weeks after the final, they lost the first Ashes Test to Australia by 251 runs. It took a long time to get rid of the World Cup and England ended up drawing the Ashes 2-2.
“We never had the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy [the world championship] and then move on. It happened so quickly that it was impossible to put it aside. It would be great to be on the team. There was a bus parade in 2005, not to mention we needed it. But if we had a day to congratulate ourselves, pat ourselves on the back and remember, and then move on to the Ashes, it would help. It felt like by the third game a few guys were starting to get the hang of the Ashes. Before you knew it, it was already too late.”
Without Root, England would not have won the World Cup. He averaged 58 points during his resurgence from the disappointing 2015 tournament to the start of the 2019 campaign and scored two hundred points en route to the final. Batting three balls, Root got ahead of two big hitters in Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow to provide momentum in the middle overs, often against spin.
For England to win this World Cup, that role will be even more important on India's spinning pitches and it is difficult to imagine the defending champions competing without Root having a good and consistent tournament. They reached the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup in India on similar surfaces thanks to Root's batting, and although his style has gone out of fashion in this format, it will be exactly what England need at times over the next seven weeks, perhaps as early as Thursday in Ahmedabad.
“I will raise my game for the World Cup”
Root is an outstanding player in the promotion, perhaps the best ever for England. His average in India is over 50 across all formats. Root's current white-ball form is a concern. He dropped out after the Ashes in the one-dayers against New Zealand and tried again against Ireland at Headingley but it rained. But you feel that he needed a break to regain his strength.
“It’s hard for me to say no,” he admits. It has also suffered due to the schedule being skewed towards T20, with two World Cups taking place in this format since 2019 and Covid further complicating matters. Root has played just 19 ODIs since the 2019 final, at an average of 27. His last century in 50-over cricket was against the West Indies in the group stage of the 2019 World Cup, but this coincides with him actually expanding his game by adding reverse scoop, promoted in the Baseball era.
“You want to go into every World Cup with millions of runs under your belt, but the difference now is that I now have a wealth of experience and knowledge of not only the format but also the conditions in which we will be playing. a good player who can perform at this level and raise his game. Nothing can repeat playing at the World Cup and when that happens I will raise my game and be ready for these conditions. I can go out there and show results like at the previous World Championships.”
England's batting depth is arguably better than it was four years ago, they have spin options, plenty of seam bowling and in Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes a mentally strong core that can salvage any situation. This time they are not favorites, having dropped to fifth place in the rankings, and conditions in favor of the subcontinental teams, other than a semi-final place, are the first and very realistic goal.
Buttler's wealth of experience in India will be invaluable. Photo: ICC/Darrian Traynor
After New Zealand they face potentially challenging opponents in Bangladesh and Afghanistan, although they are still trying to adjust to the conditions. They will have to be fast to get up to speed.
“Winning any World Cup outside of your own conditions is an incredible feat, no matter the format. The one thing the group has going for it is that they have been there and done that, be it in 2019 or the T20 group in Australia last year. The guys have the experience and knowledge of what it takes to play under pressure in those important matches and moments that cannot be repeated. This is a band that has logged a huge amount of time playing together.
“Me, Jos and Ben played for the under-19 team, it was our first World Cup experience [in the 2009-10 season, Root opened with Buttler, Stokes scored six.” England's captain was Azim Rafiq.] We've been through it all together and seen so much cricket.”
Ruth won't mind if England win and he has another horror show in the final, though if they last so long that it is difficult to imagine that they would not do so without his shining star. And there is one piece of good news: De Grandhomme has retired.
“Yes. I'm glad I don't have to meet him anymore.”
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