England vs Australia 2018: 5 Talking Points from only T20I

#4 Root ahead of red-hot Bairstow?

Joe Root scored at the lowest strike-rate among all England batsmen

In sharp contrast to their stagnant Test team, England have an embarrassment of riches in their limited-overs batting plans. That Joe Root, with an average of around 39 and strike-rate of close to 130, is considered sedate highlights their abundance at the moment.

Having reached a strong position of 132/3 in the 12th over, the hosts opted to send in Root despite possessing the seemingly unstoppable Jonny Bairstow at their disposal. The technically proficient right-hander scored 35 from 24 balls before running himself out in the penultimate ball of the innings.

Usually, a strike-rate of 145.83 is a reasonable one in the parlance of T20 cricket. However, it has to be argued that it was comfortably the lowest in England's innings. Coming into bat in the 19th over, Bairstow biffed two sixes. Admittedly, the move did not have any sort of bearing on this game. But the think tank may need to be more proactive during the upcoming matches against India.