LEEDS, England (AP) — Joe Root struck 113 on his home ground as England posted 294-7 in the fifth and final one-day international against India at Headingley on Friday to finally make the tourists work for victory in a lopsided series.
Looking to complete a 4-0 sweep after a washout in the first ODI, India put the beleaguered hosts into bat and reduced them to 117-4 in 29 overs after Eoin Morgan (14) was stumped.
Root and Jos Buttler (49 off 40 balls) ensured there was no repeat of previous England collapses in this series by putting on 108 for the fifth wicket, before Root reached his second ODI century — off 105 balls — with a sweep for six.
The Yorkshire batsman was out the next over but England stayed positive, finishing with a total of seven sixes to beat its previous highest total over the four matches by 67 runs.
Opener Alastair Cook, whose ODI captaincy is under pressure at the start of the long buildup to the 2015 World Cup, hit 46 — again missing out on a big score after another encouraging start.
Root looked comfortable on his home strip, hitting 10 fours and three sixes and going at more than a run a ball before flicking a half-volley to Ravichandran Ashwin at short fine-leg off the bowling of Mohammed Shami with four overs left.
England had been tied down by India’s trio of spinners until Root and Buttler came together and accelerated the innings, bringing up their century partnership off 75 balls. Buttler struck five fours and two sixes in a typically entertaining salvo.
Allrounder Ben Stokes weighed in with 33 off 23 balls late on as the Indian attack was posed questions for the first time in the series.
The world champions and Champions Trophy winners will have to go at almost 6 runs an over in their chase.
Root hits 113 as England posts 294-7 in 5th ODI
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