Root anchored England\u2019s chase of 234 with a composed 99 not out off 133 balls, hitting nine fours to guide the hosts to 234\/6 in 44.1 overs at Sophia Gardens on Friday. The victory levelled the three-match series 1-1 and forced a winner-takes-all decider at Lord\u2019s on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The former England captain was left stranded one run short of his century when Gus Atkinson hit the winning boundary with 35 balls to spare. However, Root said the result mattered much more than the personal milestone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt would\u2019ve felt a lot worse if we\u2019d lost. That\u2019s why you play to win. And for us to have that carrot ahead of us, winning at Lord\u2019s and the chance to beat the number one team in the world, is really exciting,\u201d Root said after the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He added that England would benefit from having ground out a victory in a manner that was different from their usual attacking approach.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019m delighted that we found a way of doing it ugly and doing it in a way that probably doesn\u2019t suit a lot of the other guys and what they\u2019re used to doing and how they\u2019re used to playing. It shapes us up really well with what\u2019s to come, and a great experience of a big pressure game ahead of a World Cup in 2027,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He added that England would benefit from having ground out a victory in a manner that was different from their usual attacking approach.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite timely strikes from Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel during the chase, Root\u2019s calm and measured knock ensured England crossed the line comfortably.<\/p>\r\n\r\n