Joe Root added another milestone to his notable ODI career on Sunday, becoming the first England batter to score 50 half-centuries in the format during the second match against Australia in Adelaide.Batting at No. 3 after Australia captain Mitchell Marsh elected to field, Root scored 62 off 68 deliveries to help England post a formidable 355/6 at the Adelaide Oval. He brought up his half-century in 50 balls in the 22nd over, reaching a landmark that no other English batter has accomplished in ODI cricket.Root, England's leading run-scorer in ODIs, now has 50 fifties and 20 centuries in 201 appearances. His tally of 70 scores of 50 or more is also the highest by an English batter in the format.The 35-year-old is comfortably ahead of former England captain Eoin Morgan, who finished his ODI career with 42 half-centuries from 225 matches. Ian Bell occupies third place with 35, while Jos Buttler has 30.Most half-centuries for England in ODIsPlayerMatchesRuns100s50sJoe Root2018,0892050Eoin Morgan2256,9571342Ian Bell1615,416435Jos Buttler2045,6781130Root's latest achievement also places him among an elite group in international one-day cricket. The overall record for the most ODI half-centuries remains with former India great Sachin Tendulkar, who accumulated 96 fifties in 463 matches between 1989 and 2012, alongside 49 hundreds.Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara is second on the all-time list with 93 half-centuries, followed by South Africa's Jacques Kallis with 86. Former India captain Rahul Dravid and Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq have 83 each, while Australia's Ricky Ponting finished with 82.Virat Kohli is next on the list among active-era greats, with 80 half-centuries and 55 centuries in 322 ODIs.Most half-centuries in ODI cricketPlayerTeamMatchesRuns100s50sSachin TendulkarIndia46318,4264996Kumar SangakkaraSri Lanka40414,2342593Jacques KallisSouth Africa32811,5791786Rahul DravidIndia34410,8891283Inzamam-ul-HaqPakistan37811,7391083Ricky PontingAustralia37513,7043082Virat KohliIndia32215,1955580Mahela JayawardeneSri Lanka44812,6501977MS DhoniIndia35010,7731073Sourav GangulyIndia31111,3632272Root's milestone came in a key contest for England, who bounced back emphatically after being bowled out for 132 in the series opener at Perth. His 62-run contribution was part of a strong batting display led by Tom Banton, who hit 121 off 99 balls for his second ODI century.Root and Banton put together a 135-run partnership after England lost Ben Duckett early. Jordan Cox (67) and Will Jacks (54 not out) added further momentum with a 102-run stand, helping England finish on 355/6.Australia's chase never really recovered from a disastrous start following Root's dismissal. Gus Atkinson ripped through the top order, taking three of the first four wickets before finishing with data of 4/28. Matt Renshaw (63) and Cameron Green (64) tried to revive the innings with a 98-run partnership, but Liam Dawson and Sam Curran struck at regular intervals to keep the hosts under pressure.Australia were finally bowled out for 220 in 44.3 overs, handing England a comprehensive 135-run victory and levelling the five-match ODI series 1-1 ahead of Wednesday's decider in Hobart.Root admitted the importance of the series decider, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching.“When you’ve got a World Cup around the corner, knockout games and big games where it really matters to win a series is what you want,” Root stated in a post-match TV interview. “So I’m sure both teams will be really excited for the opportunity. We certainly will be.”Sunday's result gave England an opportunity to test themselves in another high-pressure contest, something Root believes will be valuable going into the World Cup.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.