Joe Root smashed 77 runs as England posted 282-9 against New Zealand in the first match of the World Cup on Thursday.

The Black Caps asked England to bat first at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, even though their star player Ben Stokes was injured and couldn’t play.

England kept losing wickets because batsmen couldn’t build on their early scores. Root stood out, though, and he and captain Jos Buttler, who made 43, made a key stand of 70 runs.

In a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, when England won a tied game at Lord’s based on the number of boundaries, the rest of the batting lineup didn’t have enough firepower to beat a Kiwi attack that didn’t include Tim Southee but kept coming back at the champions.

Henry gave back the numbers 3-48. Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips, who both spin, each took two wickets.

“Brilliant today, they got off to a flyer so to get to 280 was very pleasing,” Phillips, a part-time spinner, told broadcasters Star Sports.

“When Stokes was rested, that was one left-hander out, but Tommy (stand-in-skipper Tom Latham) has plenty options and he used them well. A bit of nibble early on, the slow ones turned, it’ll get better as it goes on.”

England got off to a fast start with Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow, but the New Zealand bowlers quickly got rid of the openers and took control of the game on a sunny afternoon in front of a small number of fans in the 132,000-seat stadium.

Malan was caught behind by Henry, and Bairstow’s run was cut short by Santner, whose left-arm spin got the batsman out for 33.

Harry Brook faced Rachin Ravindra and hit two fours and a six in the left-arm spinner’s first over. On the last delivery, the bowler got back at Brook with a six of his own.

Brook replaced Stokes at the top of the order. He tried to hit another big shot, but was caught at deep mid-wicket.

Root got to 50 in his 37th ODI by hitting two fours and one six off a reverse scoop shot.

But Phillips’ off-spin got him when he tried to reverse sweep, and England lost more ground until Adil Rashid and Mark Wood made sure they played all 50 overs.

After England fell to 252-9, Rashid (15) and Wood (13), who had not been out yet, put together an unbeaten stand of 30 to stop the bowlers.

England scored 282 runs in 50 overs, with J. Root getting 77 and J. Buttler getting 43.