Joe Root says some England players are having to “learn on the job” in 50-over cricket because of a lack of exposure to the format.
Root was a class apart in the second one-day international at Cardiff with a chanceless 99 that led England to a four-wicket win in tricky conditions.
In domestic cricket, the One-Day Cup is played in the same window as The Hundred and has therefore become more of a developmental tournament.
Collectively, England’s top six batters on Thursday had played more than 400 matches fewer than their India counterparts in List A cricket (which combines one-day internationals with major domestic white-ball competitions).
“I think that’s one of the biggest challenges for this team and the young guys coming through,” Root, 35, said after England’s win.
“Not just now, but in the next little while, anyone coming into this team does not have the wealth of experience and understanding of 50-over cricket because we are not exposed to it any more.
“There is not that element of grounding that happens before you get to this level, which happens elsewhere around the world, so it’s understanding that there are going to be times where guys have to learn on the job and they have to learn quickly.”
England reached their target of 234 in the 45th over in a game which resembled a more traditional ODI, where Root’s knock – alongside Virat Kohli’s 65 in India’s innings – was based on strike rotation, playing the ball late and punishing anything loose.
Due to the conditions, it was a stark contrast to some of the batting produced by England’s World Cup-winning squad of 2019, but Root highlighted the importance of being able to adapt.
“You’ve got to be brave and know that you can absorb pressure, because you have always got more time than you think and you can really make things up,” Root added.
“The more gears you can have, then it’ll make you a better player in the long run.
“Some guys will get out their tricks, sometimes you’ll be on a pitch where 400 is a par score which can happen.
“But you have got to have range and the hardest bit for guys coming through in English cricket is that everyone who plays T20 cricket can manipulate the field and take the game on – but when you find yourself in a situation like that, a wicket like that, can you find a way of doing it ugly and just getting over the line?”
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