Australia vs England 2018, 2nd ODI: 5 things we learnt from the match
Joe Root and Chris Woakes stitched together an unbeaten 47-run stand to help England overhaul Australia's 270 after a jittery middle period which saw them lose three wickets to Mitchell Starc. Root remained unbeaten on 46 while Woakes reaffirmed his batting abilities with a 27 ball 39 as England cruised home.
Earlier, Aaron Finch slammed his second hundred of the series while Joe Root picked up Steven Smith and Travis Head. Some terrific death bowling from the English seamers restricted Australia to a below average 270 which at one stage - when Johnny Bairstow and Alex Hales got going - England threatened to easily chase down. Starc amd debutant Jhye Richardson struck at frequent intervals before Root and Woakes took them home to gain a 2-0 lead.
#5 Joe Root can bowl
With Aaron Finch on fire, England needed a hero with the ball to silence the other man - Steven Smith. It proved to be their Test skipper and part-time off-spinner, Joe Root. The England batsman turned his arm over and pinned Steven Smith in front with one that turned in a touch. The Aussie skipper missed a flick and was given out even after a review.
Root wasn't done, though, and went on to remove Travis Head with one that was a bit short and turned away. Head tried to push it to mid-on but found a leading edge back to Root. He sent down seven economical overs for 31 runs and picked up two crucial wickets.