Are England finally improving in ODI cricket?
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- England beat India 2-1 in ODIs and 4-0 in T20s this July, overtaking India as the world's top-ranked T20 side just over a year before the next 50-over World Cup
- Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell became England's sixth new ODI opening pair since 2023, putting on the highest opening stand at Lord's with Bethell striking 91 and Duckett scoring his fourth ODI century
- Joe Root has averaged 81.5 across 21 innings since his ODI recall, becoming the first England batter to make six consecutive scores over 50 and compiling an unbeaten run of 360 runs — the seventh longest in ODI history
- Jofra Archer is an automatic selection among the seamers, but the third slot remains contested between Josh Tongue and Saqib Mahmood, with Brydon Carse returning from wrist and elbow injuries and Jamie Overton sidelined by a thigh injury
- Adil Rashid has taken just one wicket in the India series and only eight in ODIs across 2026, though the 38-year-old remains England's most productive bowler in overs 11-40 over the past 18 months
- England's next ODI action comes against Sri Lanka in late September, followed by three matches in Australia in November and three in South Africa in January to sample World Cup conditions before the tournament begins on 4 October 2027
Why it matters: With the 2027 World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe less than 15 months away, England are using a five-match Ashes series as a seamer-stress test, expecting at least one pacer to miss through injury. Root's renaissance (360 unbeaten runs, 81.5 average since recall) gives the batting a spine it lacked after surrendering the 2023 title, but Rashid's decline and an unsettled third-seamer slot leave the XI far from finalised.
