New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) Joe Root was full of praise for rising phenom Jacob Bethell, claiming the left-handed batter is ‘wise beyond his years’ after he scored his maiden ODI century in England’s historic 342-run win over South Africa in the third ODI on Sunday.

Coming into the third ODI with the series already lost 2-0, England were determined to avoid a whitewash. Sent in to bat first, they made an explosive start, reaching 100 runs in just 13.4 overs. The momentum continued as Root and Bethell produced a game-changing 182-run stand.

Bethell, just 21 years old, raised a stunning 110 off 82 balls – becoming the second-youngest Englishman to score a hundred in the men’s ODIs. Root added to the fireworks with a composed knock, bringing up his 19th ODI century. Jos Buttler piled on the pressure late in the innings with a blistering 62 off 32, propelling England to a mammoth 414-run total.

“We needed to get a couple of partnerships on that surface; I and Beth dovetailed, and we took advantage of that and got a fantastic total. Bethell knew what he was doing, wise beyond his years, clear on how he wanted to play, and with wonderful options.

“I’ve known him since he was eight. Hopefully he goes from strength to strength. As soon as you start being content with where you at, people will catch up, so I keep trying to find areas to improve. The more you play, the more information there is on you. I’ll continue to tinker here and there. We’ve shown glimpses of what we’re capable of in this format,” said Root.

Bethell, who had hoped to play more of a role during India’s tour of England after having only appeared in the fifth Test, has already set his sights towards the Ashes in Australia this winter and claimed he has got to be ready to perform if called upon.

“I’m hoping to be in the squad, and if I’m in the squad, there’s only one thing that has to happen – in terms of an injury or something like that – and I’m in, and I’ve got to be ready to perform. I don’t know if these runs mean anything (towards selection), but I don’t think they can hurt. If the opportunity arises, I’ll hopefully be there to take it,” said Bethell.

–IANS

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