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Root happy to rediscover Ballance

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Joe Root was pleased to see Yorkshire team-mate Gary Ballance back in action - and in the runs at the first time of asking - meaning England have a fully-fit squad for their World Cup opener with Australia on Saturday.

Ballance has recovered from a fractured finger that ruled him out of the Tri-Series, and today he played for the first time since suffering the injury during an England training session in mid-January.

Ballance and Root struck 57 and 85 respectively as Eoin Morgan’s side posted 250 for eight in England’s last World Cup warm-up game, versus Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Although Pakistan overhauled that total with four wickets and seven balls to spare thanks largely to captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s unbeaten 91, Root was upbeat about Ballance’s return.

"I think it is great that he has come back from an injury; it's never easy to come back into cricket and perform from ball one,” Root said.

Gary Ballance congratulates Joe Root on his fifty. Root was happy to see Ballance hit a half-century in his first game back

"To put that performance in today is really pleasing and it's good to have a full squad playing well."

Root’s half-century was just his second score of note in seven innings during the Tri-Series and two warm-up matches, but the classy right-hander feels in fine fettle.

"I actually feel really good. I know I've not really put many performances in, a couple of fifties, but my game feels in a really good place at the minute,” he added.

With a month of preparation Down Under behind them, Root says England are eager to start their World Cup campaign.

Despite having lost to Australia three times in the Tri-Series, latterly in the final, he thinks Morgan’s men could spring a shock on Saturday at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"We want to get cracking. We want Saturday to come and we want to surprise people. We want to put in that performance that gets us a win and take on that 90,000 at the MCG," he explained.

At one stage today, with Pakistan 78 for four in the 23rd over, England looked like going into that game with back-to-back warm-up wins.

Yet 40-year-old Misbah, who added 133 for the fifth wicket with Umar Akmal, used his experience to set up a Pakistan victory.

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said: "He reads the game really well. He reads the scoreboard well and as a captain he takes the responsibility also.

"Batting at five or six just suits him so well."


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