Root targets more centuries for England – but will stick to classic celebrations

Joe Root is eyeing more one-day international tons after becoming England’s most prolific century-maker, though his next one is unlikely to be celebrated with another bat-drop.

Root reached three figures in back-to-back games in the ODI series with India, which England won 2-1 having claimed an eight-wicket victory at Headingley on Tuesday.

England’s number three had trailed Marcus Trescothick by one century heading into the three-match series but Root’s successive unbeaten tons took him to a record 13 from 110 innings.

However, given he is still just 27, Root feels there is plenty more to come.

“It’s not a big thing, I don’t think – it’s obviously nice but I feel I’ve got a lot more to give this ODI team for hopefully a long time,” he said.

“Hopefully, there’s quite a few more (hundreds) left.”

Those might be marked with the customary removal of the helmet and the raised bat after Root revealed his uneasiness with his on-pitch celebrations in Leeds.

England needed just one run to win to the match but Root required a boundary to bring up 100 and, after swatting Hardik Pandya to the fence, the Yorkshireman responded by mimicking a ‘mic-drop’ with his bat.

Former US president Barack Obama and Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner are among those to have dropped the mic for emphasis at the end of speeches but Root’s act will likely be a one-off.

“It was something that I immediately regretted,” he added.

“I’ve not heard the end of it, it was literally the most embarrassing thing I’ve done on a cricket field! I don’t think it will be the last I hear of it from the group – they’ve been hammering me.

“You’d think if you were going to do a celebration like that, you’d have smacked it 30 yards out…it was just an absolute car crash!”

Attention now turns to the Tests for England when Root will lead a team in five matches against India.

The first meeting between the two is at Edgbaston in an encounter which begins on August 1 and could finish the day before the date set for all-rounder Ben Stokes’ trial for affray.

Stokes looks set to miss the second Test at Lord’s due to the trial expecting to last between five and seven days, yet Root has no concerns over his mental state heading into the first game.

“We are going to pick our best team and make sure we go into that series with the strongest squad,” Root said.

“If Ben’s fit to play, he’ll be up for selection. He loves playing cricket, he loves being out there – you can see when he’s on a cricket field he’s fully engaged with what’s going on.

“He wants the ball all the time. He wants to be involved in what’s happening and I’m sure that will be exactly the same throughout that game.”