Joe Root has scripted history against Australia, reaching his 50th ODI half-century and achieving a first-ever feat for England in the format.
The milestone is the product of a year of heavy scoring: Root has made 590 runs in 10 ODIs in 2026 at an average of 98.3, with six scores of fifty or more. That puts him fourth among 263 players in the format this year.
A year built on fifties
Root's 2026 one-day numbers are the sort that make milestones routine. He scores at a strike rate of 85.9, which is measured rather than flashy, and he has hit only two sixes all year. The runs come from placement and fours: 51 of them, sixth among all players in ODI cricket in 2026.
Across his career he has 3,728 ODI runs in 90 matches since 2017, alongside 8,697 Test runs. The 2026 form sits well above the ODI returns of recent years: he made 583 in 12 matches in 2025 at 53, and 276 in nine matches at the 2023 World Cup, as Root's season-by-season figures show.
Joe Root in ODIs, by year
Matches, runs, average, strike rate and 50-plus scores
| Year | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike rate | 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI 2026 | 10 | 590 | 98.3 | 85.9 | 6 |
| ODI 2025 | 12 | 583 | 53 | 95.1 | 5 |
| World Cup 2023 | 9 | 276 | 30.7 | 88.5 | 3 |
| ODI 2023 | 4 | 39 | 9.8 | 60.9 | 0 |
Australia's ODI form has turned
Australia are on the receiving end here, and their one-day form has slipped. They have won 34 of their last 59 ODIs, 58%, but their last five read lost, lost, won, won, lost. The latest of those came against England: Australia were bowled out for 220 and lost by 135 runs after England made 355/6.
Two days earlier Australia had beaten England by seven wickets, chasing 131 and getting there on 132/3 in 23.3 overs. The swing from that result to this one is among the sharpest in their recent run, and it is part of a wider pattern of volatile scoring: 132 and 220 in the last two games, 356 and 322 earlier in the autumn.
The attack has leaked at times too. In the ODI series against South Africa in September, Australia conceded 365/9 and 297/8 in their two defeats, and England's 355/6 is another heavy total against them.
Australia's record by format
Played, won, lost and win percentage, with the last five results
| Format | P | W | L | Win % | Last 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20I (since 2022) | 59 | 40 | 19 | 68% | LWWWW |
| ODI (since 2022) | 59 | 34 | 25 | 58% | LLWWL |
| Test (since 2019) | 60 | 38 | 14 | 63% | LWWLL |
England win the game, not yet the format
England have won 24 of their last 59 ODIs, 41%, the weakest of their three formats, and their last five in the format read won, won, lost, won, lost. Root's 17 off 36 balls in the earlier match was one of the quieter innings of his year, and England lost that game by seven wickets after being bowled out for 131.
The big win followed in the second game. England made 355/6, then bowled Australia out for 220. Before that, England's most recent ODI score of that size came against Sri Lanka in September, when they made 355/7 and won by 223 runs.
The two sides meet again in the ODI series on Wednesday 18 November, at 03:30 UK time, with Australia at home.
Australia's last results, newest first
Scores from the last six completed matches
| Opponent | Result | Australia | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| England, ODI, 15 Nov | Lost by 135 runs | 220 | 355/6 |
| England, ODI, 13 Nov | Won by 7 wickets | 132/3 | 131 |
| South Africa, Test, 27 Oct | Lost by 176 runs | 429 & 111 | 329 & 387 |
| South Africa, Test, 18 Oct | Lost by an innings and 31 runs | 99 & 295 | 425/9 |
| South Africa, Test, 9 Oct | Won by 214 runs | 390 & 314/6 | 284 & 206 |
| South Africa, ODI, 30 Sep | Won by 47 runs | 322/9 | 145/4 |
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