Harry Brook's unbeaten 110 at Chester-le-Street marked a significant milestone in his career, being his first one-day international century and his first against Australia in any format. However, Will Jacks' contribution was equally noteworthy, especially considering the potential competition when England's star players return. Jacks scored 84 off 82 balls, helping England narrow the one-day series deficit to 2-1 with two games remaining. Despite a challenging start that left England at 11 for two, Jacks aggressively faced Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. With four half-centuries in his first 10 ODIs, Jacks rated this performance as his best, given the quality of the bowlers and England's precarious position.
However, a logjam looms ahead. While Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali were dropped for this series—the latter retiring from international cricket—England clarified that Joe Root was merely being rested before the Test tour of Pakistan. Root is expected to reclaim his No. 3 spot, currently occupied by Jacks, upon his return for the India tour and the Champions Trophy. "Who knows what’s going to happen there?" Jacks mused, having also opened and batted at No. 6 in his ODI career. "Rooty is England’s best ever batter in 50-over cricket; you can’t say any more about what he does. What will be will be. I just have to try and win games when I can. [Tuesday] was nice and I’d like to have a few more of those but I’ll just do as well as I can."
The white-ball team's setup feels experimental as they await Brendon McCullum's all-format role and a less hectic schedule. The continuous tours provide opportunities for emerging players but complicate the management's efforts to finalize their preferred 50-over lineup before the Champions Trophy. Jos Buttler is set to resume captaincy for the Caribbean tour in November, while Ben Stokes has indicated he will respond to McCullum's call for white-ball duty. The allure of Root is undeniable, despite his last ODI century coming in the 2019 World Cup.
There is also a pressing need to integrate 50-over matches for players like Jacks, considering the age of key players and the 2027 World Cup. The introduction of the Hundred has relegated the One Day Cup, making bilateral ODIs crucial for player development. Jacks, 25, reflects this situation, having only played two seasons of 50-over cricket for Surrey before his ODI debut in Bangladesh. His 121 off 100 balls against Gloucestershire remains his only List A century. England's ODI cricket has also been reduced due to TV demands, with this Australia series being their first five-match series since 2019.
"With the lack of 50-over cricket that we play now, finding the tempo can be difficult," Jacks noted. "The schedule only allows what it allows and that is for people above us, we just go where we’re told. I think when you’re leading up to a major event you are going to play more [50-over cricket] but with the way TV is now [and the trend towards international and domestic T20] that is out of our control." He added, "A five-match series is nice. It’s the first time I’ve played in one. You get in a nice rhythm, the team gets time together and this squad is growing. We’re progressing every game and hopefully when we come back next time we’ll be one step further."
