New Delhi [India], February 4 : England batter Joe Root sees the three ODIs against India, leading into the Champions Trophy a "really useful" opportunity to be together as a group and get into a good place before the tournament begins in Pakistan on February 19.
The fever of the Champions Trophy is taking over the fans as the hype around the marquee event slowly takes over the headlines with each passing day.
All participating teams are bolstering their preparations by competing in ODIs to figure out the winning combination and gain some momentum before heading into the tournament.
Root, who is an integral part of England's ODI machinery believes the three-match series will help them get in a "good place," before heading to Pakistan in search of glory.
"When you commit to doing something, you want to see it through and be there for the whole tournament, but at the same time, playing for England and international cricket is always the pinnacle of the sport," he said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
After conceding a 4-1 series defeat in the T20Is, England will look to pose a comeback in the 50-over format with head coach Brendon McCullum sitting at the helm. For the first time in ODIs, 'Bazball' will look to leave an impression in the format on Thursday in Nagpur.
"And leading into the Champions Trophy, three ODIs will be really useful for us to be together as a group and try and get us in a really good place before we head into that tournament," he added.
Root's last appearance for England in the format came during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. The experienced star has played 171 ODIs, amassing 6,522 runs at an average of 47.60, including 16 centuries and 39 half-centuries.
England ODI Squad - India Tour & ICC Men's Champions Trophy: Jos Buttler (C), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.