Root, Bairstow star in run chase as England close in on victory

England staged a stunning turnaround on day four of the fifth Test at Edgbaston as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow put on a stellar 150-run stand to leave the hosts just 119 runs away from completing their record run-chase in red-ball cricket. India began the day with a 257-run lead, but the visitors capitulated with the bat – losing seven wickets for 120 runs – before losing discipline with the ball as England finished on 259 for three at stumps in pursuit of 378.

India resumed the fourth morning on 125 for three with Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant scoring some risk-free runs against England’s opening pair of Jimmy Anderson and Joe Root. However, the introduction of Stuart Broad brought the hosts the breakthrough they needed as Pujara carelessly cut a wayward delivery to backward point to depart on 66.

The hosts lost their way with the bat after Pujara’s dismissal as Shreyas Iyer looked all at sea against the bouncer and picked out the man at midwicket before Rishabh Pant reverse swept Jack Leach to Joe Root at first slip for 57. England reverted to their short-ball barrage to dismiss the tail, and the tactic worked in the second innings as Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah found the fielder in the deep after failing to control the pull shot. Ravindra Jadeja briefly batted with the tail to extend India’s lead but chopped one onto his stumps on 23 as England dismissed the visitors for a measly 245, setting a target of 378.

The hosts have never chased more than 359 in the fourth innings of a Test, but Ben Stokes’ side looked set on creating history at Edgbaston as the openers – Zak Crawley and Alex Lees – stormed out the gates to put on England’s fastest century opening partnership in Test cricket. The aggressive intent was on display from the first over as Alex Lees dished severe punishment to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in their opening spell.

The pair added 107 runs in just 21.4 overs before a change in the ball finally did the trick for India, with Bumrah getting one to jag back prodigiously and castle Zak Crawley’s stumps after the opener shouldered arms. Bumrah also dismissed Ollie Pope for duck right after Tea, while Alex Lees was run out one over later, forcing the hosts to lose three wickets for just three runs.

India grew in confidence after this triple strike as the ball started to reverse, but the optimism for the Men in Blue was quickly extinguished by Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, as the pair launched another counterattack. The duo kept the boundaries flowing throughout the final session, scoring at more than four runs an over as India strayed in terms of their line and lengths. Root finished with 76 not out while Bairstow notched his consecutive fifth 50+ score in Test cricket as England ended the day with the 378-run target very much within their sights.