England's master blasters thrill us — but don’t forget Joe Root

Joe Root averages 50 in ODI cricket, has 11 centuries — one behind Marcus Trescothick’s national record — and is ranked No4 in the world. He is England’s only batsman in the top 15, although that seems unlikely to be the case for long.

Yet, England are 4-0 up against Australia having barely needed their best batsman. on Thursday, at the Riverside, as he did on Saturday in Cardiff, Jason Roy scored a century. On Tuesday, it was Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales tonning up in the outrageous ‘481 game’ that saw Root only required in the 48th over.

The top three are barely giving the rest a chance. In just 16 innings, Roy and Bairstow have five century stands, the most by an England opening pair. In six of the last seven games, one of the openers has made a century and the first wicket has been worth more than 100 in four of those seven games, too.

Here, Root made 27 to edge England closer to their six-wicket victory (they chased 310, the highest score at the ground), but his bowling was more influential to the game’s course. He rattled through his full 10 overs — for just the second time in his 112 games — successively from the ninth over and, with Australia’s batsmen unwilling to take on the straight boundary into the wind, he cost just 44. It was poor, passive batting from Australia and a decisive factor.

The debate over who drops out when Ben Stokes — who England are not missing — returns becomes trickier by the game. Hales is still most likely, but some have suggested it could even be Root or that his off-spin means Stokes could come in for a bowler.

England will not dispense with Root, though: he adds too much class between the big hitters, especially when at No3. Do not forget the vital contribution he has made to this series: his 50 in a stand of 115 with Eoin Morgan at the Kia Oval was decisive in England’s victory. They had, of course, been 38 for three.

The former England captain Michael Vaughan, speaking at a school near the Riverside to celebrate Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week with Chance to Shine, believes Root will return to the fore in tougher series.

“Root remains vital,” Vaughan said. “He is the glue. You have the firecrackers that come off and people ask what you need Joe Root for. You need him if you are two down. Inevitably, the way England play, this high-risk game, you will lose wickets. You need someone to be a rock of consistency.

“He is invaluable, because no one can play his style and do what he can do against real quality. Remember, this Australian team are missing quality. Quality puts the firecrackers under more pressure.”