"Sweeping like he is auditioning for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" - Twitter hails Joe Root for delightful 77 in ENG vs NZ 2023 World Cup match

England star batter Joe Root returned to his very best with a well-compiled 77 off 86 deliveries in the 2023 World Cup opener against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on October 5.

The 32-year-old took guard with England a wicket down in the eighth over and held up one end despite wickets tumbling at the other. Root brought out all his skills, especially his renowned ramp shot, to bail England out of trouble.

However, just as the champion batter looked set for a three-figure score, his favorite reverse sweep led to his undoing against part-time off-spinner Glenn Phillips. Root fell 23 runs short of a well-deserved 17th century to leave England at 229/7 in the 42nd over.

There were a lot of talks about Root's form coming into the World Cup following the woeful ODI series against New Zealand at home. The Yorkshire batter scored just 39 runs in four innings at an average of less than ten and a lowly strike rate of 62.

Root's poor ODI form extended back to the start of 2022. He had only scored one half-century in nine innings at a miserable average of 15 since, until today. The champion batter was a vital cog in England's 2019 World Cup winning run, scoring 556 runs at an average of 61.77 and a strike rate of almost 90.

Root also scored a half-century in the opening game of the 2019 World Cup against South Africa. His return to form had fans on Twitter buzzing in appreciation of the star batter.

Here are some of the best reactions:

New Zealand restrict England to under 300 in the 2023 World Cup opener

Root's untimely dismissal halted the possibility of fireworks in the slog overs.

England and New Zealand renewed their rivalry in the opening game of the 2023 World Cup, with the Black Caps skipper Tom Latham winning the toss and electing to bowl first.

Standing in as captain for the injured Kane Williamson, Latham rotated the bowlers proactively to keep a lid on the English batters throughout the innings. Following a brisk start of 40/0 in the eighth over, the defending champions lost quick wickets to fall to 118/4 in 21 overs.

The experienced duo of Joe Root and Jos Buttler resurrected the innings with a fluent 70-run partnership before Matt Henry returned to dismiss the skipper for 43 off 42 balls.

Despite maintaining an excellent run rate throughout the innings, the consistent loss of wickets derailed the England innings. Matt Henry was the pick of the Kiwi bowlers, finishing with figures of 3/48, while spinners Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips ended with two wickets each.

Eventually, England scrapped through to a score of 282/9 in their 50 overs, setting up an enticing run-chase under lights at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.