Credit: ICC
On July 5, 2022, England recorded their highest successful Test chase after beating Team India by seven wickets in the fifth and final Test of the Pataudi Trophy played at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The match was scheduled to be played in September 2021 but the series came to a halt then as Team India returned to their homeland due to the COVID-19 scare. Bowling first after winning the toss, England contained India on 416 runs in the first innings. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja played the knocks of 146 and 104 respectively which helped the visitors to post a massive total on the board.
Replying to the huge score, England could put up only 284. However, the home team’s bowlers didn’t lose faith and made a solid comeback in the match with their performance in the second innings. Ben Stokes led from the front and bagged a four-wicket haul to help his side restrict India on 245. However, England still got the uphill task of chasing a mammoth target of 378 to win the game.
England reached 378-run target, riding on tons from their veterans
Following the colossal target, England got a fine start from their openers Alex Lees and Zak Crawley. Both stitched a 107-run opening stand together before Crawley became the victim of Jasprit Bumrah after scoring 46. Ollie Pope went back to the dugout without scoring any runs. Lees went to score a fifty and concluded his knock as he got run out after hitting 56.
In the crunch situation, veterans Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow held their nerves and took India’s bowling attack to the cleaners. Both built a solid partnership which broke India’s confidence. Both produced centuries from their bats and helped England complete the total. Joe Root scored an unbeaten 142, while Jonny Bairstow also hammered an unbeaten 114. Bairstow got the player of the match (POTM) award for his stunning batting effort. The right-handed batter notched up a ton in the first innings as well.
