Kolkata, April 2

Former champions England carry the confidence of overcoming different challenges during the ICC World Twenty20 as they gear up to face the West Indies in Sunday’s final match, leading batsman Joe Root said.

“We’ve found ways of winning games of cricket, which is really important,” Root said on Friday ahead of a practice session at the Eden Gardens. “We found ourselves in a number of different situations that we have overcome. It means that whatever happens, we would have been in that situation before. We have experience to go back upon — ways that we have been successful.”

Root said there had been no conscious change in the way they played after the initial setback against 2012 champion West Indies. “There hasn’t been any attitude swing or the way we approach practice,” Root said. “But we stayed true to what we believed in as a side and how we want to play our cricket. Everyone’s contributed in some way, shape or form, which is always nice going into a final.”

Root is England’s top scorer in the tournament with 195 runs, while Jason Roy (183) and Jos Buttler (155) have also been among the runs. Their bowling unit has also been effective with pace bowlers Chris Jordan and Ben Stokes taking charge in the end overs with finesse.

“The way we’ve bowled at the death has been outstanding. It’s about making sure everyone is doing what he does in practice. Every game has been rocking for us (in the tournament) so hopefully it will be the same in the final,” Root said.

Asked if it was better to face the West Indies rather than pre-tournament favorite India on home soil, Root said the opposition didn’t matter. “If you are going to win the World Cup, you have to be the best throughout the tournament,” he added. Root said the big-hitters from the West Indies could be stopped if runs are dried up since they usually look for boundaries. Chris Gayle

had smashed a 48-ball 100 not out with 11 sixes and five fours to help chase 183 against England while Lendl Simmons got 82 not out in 51 against India in the semifinals with seven fours and five sixes. “If you get a string of dot balls, you can find ways to keep building them and put them more and more under pressure,” Root said.