England spent much of this game digging themselves into not so much a hole as a full-blown trench, a toxic combination of regular errors and occasional misfortune leaving them in a truly desperate situation, apparently destined for convincing and deserved defeat. Enter Joe Root, and an innings for the ages.
Root produced a display of ethereal stroke-making on his way to a stunning, unbeaten 166, a batting performance of such beauty that the ugliness of much that came before will be forgotten. It was his highest score in one-day internationals, propelling him past Eoin Morgan to become England’s leading run-scorer in this format, and the first Englishman to score more than 7,000. It ended with a straight drive that brought his 23rd boundary, victory by three wickets, and a series secured with a game to spare. Typically, the match-winner sought afterwards to deflect credit rather than to bask in it.
