Joe Root enters the three-match ODI series against Australia, starting November 13 in Perth, with several statistical milestones within reach. The 35-year-old is one match from 200 ODIs and one fifty from 50 ODI half-centuries. Here is a data-led look at the records in play.
Joe Root's Milestones at a Glance
The series runs from November 13 to November 18 and may be Root's last white-ball assignment in Australia. Six distinct milestones are within range across the three matches.
| Milestone | Current Figure | Required |
|---|
| 200 ODI appearances | 199 matches | 1 match |
| 50 ODI half-centuries | 49 fifties | 1 fifty |
| 1,000 ODI runs vs Australia | 735 runs (30 matches) | 265 runs |
| 500 ODI runs in Australia | 390 runs | 110 runs |
| 4,000 international runs vs Australia | 3,750 runs (111 innings) | 250 runs |
| 64 international centuries | 61 hundreds | 3 hundreds |
200 ODI Appearances
Root debuted in January 2013 and has played 199 ODIs for England. One more appearance makes him the third England player to reach 200 matches.
50 ODI Fifties
Root has 49 fifties and 20 hundreds, giving him 69 scores of 50 or more in ODIs. That is roughly one 50-plus score every 2.9 matches played.
One more half-century would make him the first England batter to reach 50 ODI fifties.
Run Milestones Against Australia
Root has scored 735 runs in 30 ODIs against Australia, an output of 24.5 runs per match. Reaching 1,000 requires 265 runs across the series, or about 88 per innings if he bats three times.
Only Eoin Morgan, Graham Gooch and Ian Bell have crossed 1,000 ODI runs against Australia among England players. Root would become the fourth.
500 ODI Runs in Australia
Root has 390 ODI runs in Australia and needs 110 to reach 500. That works out to about 37 runs per innings over three innings, a more achievable target than the 1,000-run mark.
Only Ian Bell and Eoin Morgan have reached 500 ODI runs in Australia for England. Root would join them.
| Target | Runs Needed | Average Needed Over 3 Innings |
|---|
| 500 ODI runs in Australia | 110 | 36.7 |
| 4,000 international runs vs Australia | 250 | 83.3 |
| 1,000 ODI runs vs Australia | 265 | 88.3 |
| England's top all-format run-scorer vs Australia | 314 | 104.7 |
All-Format Record Against Australia
Across formats, Root has 3,750 runs in 111 innings against Australia. Another 250 runs would make him the eighth player to reach 4,000 international runs against them.
He needs 314 runs to pass David Gower's 4,063 and become England's most successful all-format batter against Australia. That would be a tall order in three ODI innings, but it is possible over the rest of the tour.
| Player | Runs vs Australia (All Formats) |
|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 6,707 |
| Virat Kohli | 5,551 |
| Brian Lara | 4,714 |
| Desmond Haynes | 4,495 |
| Vivian Richards | 4,453 |
| David Gower | 4,063 |
| Graham Gooch | 4,027 |
| Rohit Sharma | 3,832 |
| Joe Root | 3,750 |
The International Century Race
Root has 61 international hundreds. Three centuries in three innings would take him to 64 and past Kumar Sangakkara's 63 and Jacques Kallis's 62, making him the fourth-highest century-maker in international cricket.
This is the least likely milestone, as it needs a hundred in every innings. Even one or two centuries would move him above Kallis or level with Sangakkara.
| Player | International Centuries |
|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 100 |
| Virat Kohli | 86 |
| Ricky Ponting | 71 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 63 |
| Jacques Kallis | 62 |
| Joe Root | 61 |
Analytical Outlook
The 200th ODI and the 500-run mark in Australia are the most realistic milestones, followed by the 50th fifty. The 1,000-run and 4,000-run marks need a sustained high-scoring run.
With several thresholds within range, the series gives Root a chance to add to his record against Australia and in the all-time international charts.