Mumbai: After being put into bat on a green wicket with evening dew making things difficult for the batsmen, few anticipated this onslaught of runs from South Africa.
England were a little wayward in their bowling, but De Kock and Hashim Amla deserve immense credit for the manner in which they played, keeping the pressure firmly on the bowlers. Their opening stand was a stunning 96 from just 7overs.
De Kock was the man who was first to depart, although his knock of 52 from just 24 four balls was a joy to watch.
From there, Amla continued to pile on the runs, with the dangerous AB de Villiers falling for just 16. When the second opener did depart for an impressive 58 from 31 balls, South Africa were in a brilliant position to kick off their onslaught, with 133 runs scored for the loss of just three wickets in 12 overs.
And they did the same. JP Duminy followed the openers with a brutal unbeaten 54 from 28 balls, while the big-hitting David Miller poured on more misery for the England bowlers with 28 from just 12 in the final stages.
England’s response needed to be sharp, and while they were big underdogs to chase down an enormous target of 230, they gave it a go first up, with Alex Hales and Roy playing some superb shots.
But both ultimately departed .First it was Hales who departed with 17 from seven, and then a couple of overs later, after getting England off to a flyer with a stunning 43 from 16, Roy was back to the pavilion. Nevertheless, the two had ensured the South Africans knew they were in a game, with England placed nicely on 71 for two after just 4.3 overs.
Root passed 50, but it was clear his job still wasn’t done. Even though Jos Buttler’s dismissal was a blow for England, they still had a chance with their talismanic batsman at the crease. As he began to up the ante, his team were beginning to look like the favourites for victory.
Eventually, the class of Root saw England to within touching distance of the target, holing out from a knee-high full toss for 83 from just 44 balls; it was left to Moeen Ali to hit the winning runs with two deliveries remaining.
