The old rivals meet on Thursday in the tournament’s second semi-final at Edgbaston, where England have not lost in 10 matches across all formats and Australia have not won since 2001.
India meet New Zealand in the first semi-final at Old Trafford today, with the Black Caps batting first. The final takes place on Sunday at Lord’s.
Before this tournament, England had won 10 of their last 11 matches against Australia in ODI cricket and Root said: “There has been a lot made of the fear factor of playing against Australia, but I think this group of players, over the last four years, their experiences against Australia are very positive.
“They have a lot of success in the bank. I don’t see that as a big worry for this group. We will be drawing on that confidence. We have been successful against Australia over a long period now and we should take that into Thursday.
“The last two [group] games (against India and New Zealand) have been like knockout games for us, played in a high-pressure environment that will hold us in good stead going into this game.”
With plenty of nostalgia about over England’s historic 2005 Ashes triumph, following a Channel 4 documentary aired on Sunday, Root recognised that England are “two good performances away from something special”.
“I think it is one of the most pleasing things that you can do as a sportsman,” he said. “I can remember that series as a kid and being really absorbed in it. It was magical. For us to have a similar opportunity, on a slightly different scale, maybe, is very exciting and it is great to see people showing a huge interest in cricket.
“It is great that this group of [England] players are playing their part in getting people interested and it would be brilliant if we could take that even further. Every player wants to see the game grow and flourish, so it would be great to be able to help do that by achieving something very special.
“We know that when we play the right kind of cricket and we think clearly under pressure, then we will give a great account of ourselves. When we play well it is good to watch, it is entertaining.”
Australia are undergoing a minor injury crisis. They have still not lodged the paperwork to replace Usman Khawaja, who is out of the tournament with a hamstring strain, in the squad. Matthew Wade is ready to be drafted in but has not played an ODI since October 2017. Shaun Marsh has already been officially replaced by Peter Handscomb, having broken an arm, while Marsh’s brother, Mitchell, has joined the squad as cover for Marcus Stoinis.
Meanwhile, tournament organisers have been tracking down and cancelling tickets appearing on unofficial resale sites such as Viagogo and StubHub for Sunday’s final at Lord’s.