Root, Bairstow star with centuries as England pull off record chase against India, series ends 2-2
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow scored centuries as England pulled off their highest-successful run chase in Test cricket to defeat India by seven wickets in the rescheduled fifth match of the series.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow scored centuries as England pulled off their highest-successful run chase in Test cricket to defeat India by seven wickets in the rescheduled fifth match of the series. England and India share the trophy with the series – which started in August last year – ending in a 2-2 draw. When Day 5 began, England needed 119 runs, India seven wickets, and in the end, the hosts raced through to achieve the mammoth target of 378 in just 76.4 overs.
Bairstow continued his blistering form by registering the second century of the match, becoming the 12th England cricketer to knock off twin centuries in a Test. Root was the first to get to the three-figure mark off just 135 balls, as he dabbed a ball from Siraj towards third man. It is his fifth century this year, 28th overall and fourth of the series. His partner, Bairstow, registered his sixth in 2022 as the pair completed a 200-run partnership. Everything seemed like a continuation of how things ended on Day 4.
Unlike the previous day, India’s bowlers began under overcast skies, but to no avail. In fact, Root and Bairstow motored along, scoring 40 runs in the first seven overs. The bowlers continued to leak runs and Bairstow and Root continued to pummel the attack. There was no swing on offer whatsoever and the English batters capitalised. That England chased these many runs down at almost five runs an over sums up their trending ‘Bazball’ approach.
After taking the honours on the first three days, which saw Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja score centuries to bail India out of trouble, Bairstow responding with a counter-attacking century of his own and India taking a solid first-innings lead of 257 runs, the wheels came off on the penultimate day of the Test, where India lost seven wickets for 92 runs. From there, it was all downhill. India’s bowlers picked up three wickets in quick succession after Alex Less and Zak Crawley had added 100 runs for the opening wickets, but Root and Bairstow guided the team home.
HT
