England complete record Test chase at Edgbaston

England nonchalantly completed a record chase of 378 to beat India in rapid time on the final morning of the fifth Test at Edgbaston.

chrisa

2022-07-05T17:05:39.000Z

England nonchalantly completed a record chase of 378 to beat India in rapid time on the final morning of the fifth Test at Edgbaston.

Centuries from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow took England to their highest successful pursuit in Test cricket and the ninth-largest in the history of the game.

Needing another 119 from their overnight 259/3, Root and Bairstow coasted with incredible ease, taking England to a memorable seven-wicket win, one of their all-time greatest victories in front of a near capacity crowd.

Bairstow's 114 not out was his second century of the match, while Root ended unbeaten on 142 in an unbroken partnership of 269. They carried England to a new height in what is turning into a spectacular summer under new captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.

The win ensures a series that was postponed last summer is drawn 2-2 but, more importantly, it is the greatest validation to date of England's ultra-positive approach to Test cricket.

Their next series is with South Africa in August, while an entirely different squad under new white-ball captain Jos Buttler plays the first of three Vitality IT20s against India on Thursday before arriving back in Edgbaston on Saturday.