Some fans were left wondering why Joe Root opted not to wear a cap while hitting a century in the heat against Sri Lanka’s spinners in the third one-day international.

It is not unusual to see players such as India’s Virat Kohli batting with a hat on, but Root wore a helmet throughout his innings despite the humidity in Colombo.

It was a stark contrast to Sri Lanka’s Pavan Rathnayake, who opted to don a cap when batting against England’s spin attack in the run chase.

Wearing a helmet is not compulsory for batters facing slow and medium pace bowlers in international cricket, but it is mandatory for all England players in the various formats.

The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) head protection regulations were brought in to mitigate the chance of players being struck on the head by bowlers, fielders and also themselves with the bat.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) rules that batters must sport a helmet when facing pace bowlers, but it is optional at other times.

English first-class cricketers have had to wear helmets against all types of bowlers since the 2016 season, but it is not mandatory for adults at a recreational level.