England white-ball captain Harry Brook showered praise on Joe Root after the Three Lions sealed a comfortable 53-run win over Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday. The victory handed England a 2-1 series triumph, with Brook named Player of the Match and Root taking home the Player of the Series award.

Brook described Root as an “exceptional” presence in the side, stressing the impact the former skipper has on the team every single day.

“Working on a few things in the nets, and it paid off. Glad me, Rooty, and Bethell could get us to that total,” Brook said after the match. “Root is exceptional; having him in the side helps every day. The pitch was much better than we expected; we got a good score and managed to defend it. Very happy with how the spinners bowled, they worked really well together.”

Batting first, England piled on a formidable 357/3 in their 50 overs. Jacob Bethell chipped in with a fluent 65 off 72 balls, striking eight fours, while Brook stole the show with a blistering unbeaten 136 off just 66 deliveries, laced with 11 fours and nine sixes.

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Brook’s knock also saw him surpass Quinton de Kock’s 128 at Hambantota in 2014, setting a new record for the highest score by a non-Asian batter in Sri Lanka.

Veteran batter Joe Root provided perfect support, remaining unbeaten on 111 off 108 balls, with nine fours and a six. The duo stitched together an unbroken 191-run partnership off just 113 deliveries for the fourth wicket, propelling England past the 350-run mark.

Root also etched his name further into the history books, overtaking West Indies legend Brian Lara on the list of all-time international run-getters. He now has 22,413 runs from 384 matches at an average of 49.69, including 61 centuries and 116 half-centuries.

In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 304 in 46.4 overs. Pavan Rathnayake was the standout performer for the hosts, scoring a superb maiden ODI century: 121 off 115 balls, featuring 12 fours and a six, but his effort proved insufficient as England wrapped up the series in style.