A dominant England completely crushed the Indian side in the rescheduled fifth and final Test to level the series at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Former skipper Joe Root and middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow outplayed the visitors by smacking boundaries all around the ground.
Both Root and Bairstow smashed their respective centuries and helped England chase down the massive target of 378 runs in 76.4 overs with seven wickets in hand. While Root remained unbeaten on 142, Bairstow stayed undefeated at 114.
Highest successful fourth innings run chases for England in Tests:
378/3 vs INDIA, Birmingham 2022*
362/9 vs AUSTRALIA, Leeds 2019
332/7 vs AUSTRALIA, Melbourne 1928
315/4 vs AUSTRALIA, Leeds 2001
307/6 vs NEW ZEALAND, Christchurch 1997
299/5 vs NEW ZEALAND, Nottingham 2022
“Ben before the toss said we’re not going to bat, we’re going to chase… so much credit to the two lads at the top, smashed that ball around on a wicket that was doing a bit. A sublime partnership against a world-class attack. The feeling in the dressing-room is whatever you get, we’re going to take it on. Jonny’s been in and out of the side, you can blame me for that if you like, but he’s come in this summer, back end of the winter, and been exceptional. I feel like I’m playing some nice cricket, feel excited, in a good place, and I need to work hard at maintaining that,” said Root after the match.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
Unbelievable run chase this! Phenomenal Test match
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) July 5, 2022
Joe Root is to the phenomenon that everyone in England loves referring to as BazBall what a keyboardist is to a heavy metal band. Adds such melody and harmony to the double-bass rhythm & the high-octane riffs that surrounds him #ENGvIND
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) July 5, 2022
The conversion master these days! #root #ENGvIND
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) July 5, 2022
I’m ALL IN on this New England Test Team! Let’s enjoy the ride!
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) July 5, 2022
This really is quite incredible from England.
Joe Root is legendary. So good! #class #ENGvsIND— Mpumelelo Mbangwa (@mmbangwa) July 5, 2022
Joe Roooooooot is the first England men’s Test batter to score 5 or more tons in two separate years
2021: 6 tons
2022: 5 tons— Mark Puttick (@GryllidaeC) July 5, 2022
Rooooooooot. It’s incredible to be so calm in the face of such a monster run chase… Yet control of this chase felt.. well, inevitable this morning. Which in itself is remarkable #EngvInd
— Alison Mitchell (@AlisonMitchell) July 5, 2022
28th Test century for Joe Root. Wow. Makes it look so simple. Hats off #ENGvIND
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) July 5, 2022
Joe Root has scored most Test hundreds against India in Test cricket history – 9 hundreds from 25 Tests.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 5, 2022
4th hundred of the series for Joe Root. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/FlMtcDL5FK
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) July 5, 2022
Joe Root’s 4th Test ton of the #ENGvIND series, 5th this year, 8th in the last 11 months and 11th since the start of 2021.
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) July 5, 2022
In their last three AWAY Test matches, Indian bowlers have not been able to defend totals of
243/3 & 212/3 (in South Africa in Jan 2022) and
378/3 today at Edgbaston
– just nine wickets were claimed in the fourth innings! #INDvENG #INDvsENG #ENGvsIND #ENGvIND— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) July 5, 2022
Joe Root the first England player since Denis Compton in 1947 to hit four centuries in a single Test series
— Chris Stocks (@StocksC_cricket) July 5, 2022
31.25% England’s 4th innings match winning hundreds have been scored in the last month.
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) July 5, 2022
