INDORE: Rilee Rossouw had a lot on the line heading into the pointless third T20I at Indore. When he smashed 96 not out at Cardiff to set up a historic victory for South Africa against England, the elegant batter had made a triumphant international comeback after five and a half years.

Rossouw, though, had unexpectedly encountered an obstacle after booking his trip to the T20 World Cup in Australia. Following consecutive defeats by India in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, he was under pressure to perform well in Indore.

He did it spectacularly on Tuesday night, scoring a century in just 48 balls for South Africa to help them reach 227/3, their fourth-highest total ever as visitors, and lay the groundwork for a 49-run victory over India.

It didn't matter what the lengths were because Rossouw was flicking, pulling, slapping, and swiping hard to hit seven fours and eight sixes in an undefeated knock at a strike-rate of 208.33 and become the fifth South African player to score a T20I century.

"If you're a professional athlete, awful things will happen to you. It just involves believing in your own abilities and supporting yourself no matter what form you are in. Our assistant coach and I spoke about form and confidence, two things I firmly believe in." "An important factor in scoring runs is confidence. I firmly believe in my abilities, and I have demonstrated them on every continent I have visited and played. I want to thank the staff and selectors for supporting me and realising the potential I do have, as I have never had a confidence issue "Rossouw spoke in the post-match news conference on his lightning knock.

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