World T20: Joe Root hopes big bashing England will still be ‘rocking’ in final

England's Joe Root notes that to become World Twenty20 champions on Sunday 'we are going to have to beat the side that beat us already'.

England's Joe Root celebrates with Jos Buttler after beating New Zealand to reach the World T20 final on Wednesday night. Adnan Abidi / Reuters / March 30, 2016

The moment that it became apparent that England have a batting order to scare any opposition at this World Twenty20 came in Mumbai, against South Africa.

That night in Mumbai they chased down 230 against the Proteas, and though it later became apparent that South Africa were not an especially good side, chasing down that target made everyone sit up and take note.

Joe Root’s 83 was at the centre of that chase – an unflappable, ice-cool work of genius that stands proud among the best innings in this tournament. The batting has not always reached that height since, but that night its full, frightening potential became apparent, with Root its fulcrum.

On Sunday evening, Root and England have the chance to become world champions – for the second time – in a format with which their relationship has been, let’s say, fraught.

They worry constantly that their own domestic competition is not up to scratch, or that it might be eating up into the Test calendar, and about whether more of their players should be in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

And yet here they are and they are pretty excited about it too.

“This is what you dream of as a kid, these opportunities, playing the final of a world cup,” Root said on Friday. “Every time over the past couple of days I’ve looked round the dressing room or the lads on the bus they have just been smiling. I think everyone is excited and can’t wait to get out there on Sunday.”

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It will not be easy, as they come across the other batting side here as explosive, if not more, than theirs. The full spectrum of West Indies' power-hitting was on full display on Thursday evening in their semi-final win against hosts and favourites India.

England have already been on the receiving end of that power, when they lost a group game in Mumbai by six wickets. In that match, Chris Gayle’s hundred set up a worryingly comfortable win, a target of 183 chased with 11 balls to spare.

That, Root insisted, made little difference. “I don’t think it matters, if you are going to win the World Cup you have to be the best team through the tournament,” he said.

“If we are going to win we are going to have to beat the side that beat us already, otherwise we would have had to have beaten India on home soil, so it’s irrelevant who we play. Every game here so far has been rocking so let’s hope it will be on Sunday.”

Before the tournament, and indeed at moments during it, England’s bowling attack looked like it might hamper their progress. But as the tournament has moved on, so too has their attack and specifically, their death bowling. Chris Jordan and Ben Stokes have been outstanding in their last two games.

“There hasn’t been any attitude swing or the way we approach practice but we stayed true to what we believed in as a side and how we want to play our cricket,” Root said.

“Everyone’s contributed in some way, shape or form which is always nice going into a final. The way we bowled at the death has been outstanding. It’s about making sure everyone is doing what he is doing in practice.

“We found ways of winning games which is really important. We found ourselves in a number of different situations that we have overcome. It means that whatever happens in the final, we would have been in that situation before in the tournament. We have experience to go back upon – ways that we have been successful. It will be a very special day if we win here.”

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