Joe Root's top form in ODIs in 2025

If you were someone who paid a close watch to just what was going on between England and West Indies, in the recently completed white-ball contests in fifty over cricket, then you'd have surely realised that England, the hosts, made lightwork of the tourists. This was a given, you could argue, in some sense because last year where they travelled to the Caribbean, the Windies beat them up without much ado. It was a signficantly lighter unit that England travelled to the Caribbean with, names like Buttler, Bairstow, Root not really there.

However, this time around, the tables turned. But there was something that perhaps requires even closer observation than before in order to assess a big loud reason behind England pounding the West Indians.

That reason, the one that led to pure English domination over a rather frail looking West Indian side was, is Joe Root. Joseph Root, the man for all seasons, the man to love as a cricketer for all the right reasons.

Fact certainly is that while to a large audience watching cricket, he's considered figure of reverence particularly in Test match cricket, someone who's even touted to go past the iconic Test cult that is the great Tendulkar.

However, Joe Root's one day figures, too, are worthy of commanding one's attention.

Random tagging of a great with key adjectives? Not really. In the recent three-match series conducted against the Windies, he made scores of 44, 166 not out and before that, 57.

That 166 not out, which came in his then 179th one day international, actually became his highest individual one day score, a knock that graced the occasion where several other Englishmen had bitten the dust thanks to excellent fast bowling first up by the visitors.

However, a win for the Windies, that almost looked certain at one point, didn't come true or to the fore as Joe Root's bat eventually ending beating the pulp out of the Caribbean men. A heroic display coming just in time when it so matters is something one does like and back then, at Cardiff, the man who made the 'diff' between the West Indies and England was Joe Root.

Scoring a knock laced with boundaries and some audacious, innovating shot making, Joe Root was at his peak, you could argue. The speedsters like Matthew Forde and Alzarri Joseph, the latter such a clinical all-format performer for England just didn't matter. None of them, including Roston Chase, a habitual wicket taker perturbed the man with immensity of focus: Joe Root.

However, Joe Root's magnificent ascendence in white-ball one day cricket, it could be argued, is currently being evidenced at a staggering rate. Why? In just 20 one day's times, he'd have played his 200th One day contest.

He is another 874 away from his 8000th one day run. And while much of the world's focus has remained on his test math exploits, which are world class, his one day game has been peaking. A great example is the current year which now stands at the halfway stage.

Earlier this year at Lahore, during the Champion's Trophy, he held his nerve against the Afghans making 120 of his team's 317. But it wouldn't be enough. But on his part, Joe Root hung in there.

Having said that, pay attention to the fact that the following is just what has gone on recently with half a year still remaining: