Rohit Sharma: 'I knew I had to bat for as long as possible'

The classy right-hander effortlessly struck regular boundaries without apparently taking much risk, something that has become a trademark of his stroke-play.

He scored 100* off 56 deliveries to register his third international ton in the shortest format.

“Assessing the conditions was important," the 31-year-old said after the seven-wicket win. "We knew the wicket would be nice to play on. I was trying to hold the shape when playing the big shots. I like to be calm, not to panic too much, because once you are there you can make up the scoring. With the wicket being so good I just knew I had to stay there.”

Sharma acknowledged the role Hardik Pandya (33* off 14) played in the victory after the pair shared a 50-run partnership in just 23 balls to see India home. “He [Pandya] is a fearless individual,” he said. “That’s what the team wants him to do."

India captain Virat Kohli paid tribute to the persistence of his bowlers who battled back after England unleashed mayhem in the Powerplay. “I think the comeback from the bowlers was outstanding, we thought they would get 225-230. The character they showed is something we are really proud of. As captain, I'm very happy to see that.”

Kohli also showered all-rounder Pandya with praise after the all-rounder took 4/38 before his cameo with the bat.

“He [Pandya] is a really good all-round cricketer, very confident, and the way he picked up those wickets is what you want to see in younger guys. Then he delivers with the bat. Rohit was obviously very special but Hardik was standout.”

England captain Eoin Morgan said his side's shot selection, which led to the fall of too many wickets late in their innings, was their undoing.

“Our execution of shots wasn't there," he said. “Picking the right ball to hit is something we'll have to work on. On a small ground we'd have expected to score more than that.

“I thought we'd have to do something special with the ball and it's hard to defend on a ground like this. We learn and hopefully improve."