India vs England 2017: Joe Root available for first ODI after birth of his son

What’s the story

England batsman Joe Root is set to take part in the ODI opener between India and England scheduled to be held at the MCA stadium in Pune on January 15th. Root was earlier reported to arrive late for the start of the series due to the birth of his son.

In case you didn’t know…

Joe Root’s partner, Carrie, gave birth to their first child, and although the right-handed batsman is currently in England for the joyous occasion, he will be available for selection for the first ODI against India. Earlier, there was no concrete news about his travel plans during the final stages of his Carrie’s pregnancy, with the England and Wales Cricket Board having expected a delay in the arrival of Root in India. Joe and Carrie got engaged in March last year.

The heart of the matter

Root’s availability will heavily bolster the tourists’ batting resources as they face a strong Indian line-up, a side that will be captained by Virat Kohli in lieu of MS Dhoni. Root’s inclusion will mean that the England team will most likely field Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Root and Eoin Morgan as the top-4, with Jonny Bairstow, the English cricketer of the year in 2016, most likely not to make the cut. Jos Buttler will don the wicket-keeping gloves in all probability. Had Root not arrived in time, even Sam Billings might have been given a look-in at number 3, with an opportunity to prove his worth and become an opener in the future.

What’s next

Root scored 491 runs in England’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of India in the recently concluded five-Test series. The 26-year old, who averages 45.71 from 78 ODIs, with eight centuries to his credit, will surely be a thorn in Team India’s flesh, for he has proved his worth in all three formats over the last few seasons.

Ben Stokes was quick to take a friendly jibe at his teammate after the news came in. It will be interesting to see how Root responds to the England all-rounder’s unique way of sending across wishes.

let's hope your lad never sees this pose Rooty https://t.co/x6jPyGl6y4

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) January 9, 2017

Sportskeeda’s take

With Root back in the squad, and most probably the team, the Indian think tank will need to tighten up their laces. The team is heavy on batting might, but Root’s form, be it against the red cherry or the white cork, demands special attention. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who make their way back into the ODI team after being rested for the New Zealand series, will be licking their fingers in anticipation of a mouth-watering contest against one of the best batsmen in cricket.

Congratulations to Joe Root, and his fiance Carrie!