India vs England, 5th Test: Twin tons make it 2-2

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow smashed hundreds as England pulled off a stunning seven-wicket win at Edgbaston to level the five-Test series against India 2-2.

England pulled off their highest-ever run chase in Test cricket in the process, eclipsing the memorable 359-run chase at Headingley during the 2019 Ashes. It was also the eighth-highest chase overall in the format. It was also the highest chase ever pulled against the Indian team in the format.

Both batters have been having a fantastic season with the bat so far and were once again at their best in England’s chase of the challenging 378-run target. While Root (142 not out) brought up his third hundred of the summer, Bairstow (114 not out) brought up his second ton of the Test, his 106 having rescued the hosts from a jittery position in the series finale. The pair shared an unbroken stand worth 269.

The Indian attack, which had dominated the English batting unit for the most part in the first four Tests last year as well earlier in this game, fell flat during the hosts’ chase of the challenging 378-run target with stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah (2/74) the only Indian among the wickets.

Stat Attack: Hosts smash records in historic chase at Edgbaston  

The match was always going to be England’s to lose after they finished on a commanding position of 259/3 on Day 4, with the visitors needing to pull off a comeback for the ages if they were to walk away with the Pataudi Trophy in hand for the first time since 2007. Bairstow, however, set the tone with back-to-back boundaries off Mohammed Shami, and there was no looking back from thereon.

The only time the visitors had a glimmer of hope was when England lose three quick wickets around the tea interval, going from 107/0 to 109/3 with Bumrah accounting for Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope’s wickets in consecutive overs. The threat for the Indians however, was always going to come from the English middle-order, which has been at the forefront of their stellar performances so far this summer.

India dominated the first half of the Test, with Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja’s heroic tons rescuing them from 98/5 and helping them finish on a commanding 416. England, in reply, were bundled out for 284, conceding a sizeable first innings deficit and might have faced a follow-on if not for Bairstow’s match-saving 106.

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India, however, didn’t quite produce the same magic with the bat in their second innings as barring Cheteshwar Pujara (66) and Pant (57), none of the other batters could challenge the English attack. Skipper Ben Stokes led the way with 4/33 as India were bundled out for 245, giving England a shot at a series-levelling win.

The victory continued England’s unbeaten run in the new ‘Bazball’ Era. The team had earlier swept the three-match Test series against New Zealand, chasing down 250-plus targets on each occasions, and taking their chasing skills to a whole new level in Birmingham against India.

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