Joe Root makes 77 as England struggle to 282 for 9 against New Zealand

Ahmedabad: Defending champions England’s batters struggled on a sluggish pitch and made a below-par 282 for nine against New Zealand in the World Cup opener here Thursday.

Asked to bat first, England were served well by Joe Root’s 86-ball 77 but other batsmen were shackled by pacer Matt Henry (3/46), left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner (2/37), and part-time spinner Glenn Phillips (2/17).

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There were useful knocks by Jonny Bairstow (33) and captain Jos Buttler (43), but they failed to kick against the 2019 finalists, who were led by stand-in captain Tom Latham.

Brief scores: England: 282 for 9 in 50 overs (Joe Root 77, Jos Buttler 43, Jonny Bairstow 33; Matt Henry 3/46, Mitchell Santner 2/37, Glenn Phillips 2/17) vs New Zealand.

PTI