India vs England: Scintillating Bairstow, visitors’ top-order woes and other talking points from Edgbaston Test – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow scored majestic centuries as England pulled off their highest-ever successful run chase in the longest format for a convincing seven-wicket win over India in the rescheduled fifth Test in Birmingham on Tuesday. England overhauled the 378-run target in the morning session of the fifth and final day with Root and Bairstow remaining unbeaten on 142 and 114 respectively.

England’s win meant that the five-match Test series, which spilled over to this year due to COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp last year, ended in 2-2 draw. This was the fourth time England chased down a target of over 250 in the fourth innings, the earlier three being against New Zealand — 277, 299, 296 — in their 3-0 home Test series win last month.

Resuming the day at 259 for 3, England hit the required 119 runs in 19.4 overs. Root’s 173-ball innings was decorated with 19 fours and one six while Bairstow struck 15 boundaries and hit once over the ropes in his 145 ball innings. It was Bairstow’s second ton of the match as he had made 106 off 140 balls in the England first innings.

The Indian bowlers toiled the whole of the morning session without success and captain Jasprit Bumrah (2/74) was the only Indian bowler to take wicket in the England second innings. He ended the match with five wickets. Mohammed Siraj had taken four wickets in the England first innings.

Here are five talking points from the series finale at Edgbaston:

India’s top-order woes: Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul’s absence at the top of the order was always going to make things tough for the Indians in the Edgbaston Test, especially since the pair were in rich form in the series last year. One would’ve expected the likes of Shubman Gill and Hanuma Vihari to make the most of the opportunity being afforded to them in the absence of the seniors but that wasn’t the case.

While Cheteshwar Pujara did make up for a blip in the first innings with a hard-fought 66 in India’s second innings, Gill and Vihari scored a combined 52 runs across the two innings, putting further pressure on the middle order.

The Pant factor

While the top-order struggled, it was the middle-order that once again saved India from the blushes with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant the primary reason while India were ahead for three-and-a-half days.

Rishabh Pant celebrates after completing his fifth Test century on Day 1 of the fifth and final Test between England and India in Birmingham. AP

Pant smashed a scintillating 146 off 111 balls in the first innings to help rescue the side from a precarious 98/5, forging a 222-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja to help the visitors finish on 416. He was also among the runs in the second essay, collecting 57 runs and forging a 78-run stand with Pujara for the fourth wicket. Had it not been for his contributions, the game would certainly have been a lot more one-sided.

The phenomenal Bairstow and Root

Bairstow was quite simply at the heart of England’s stunning victory at Edgbaston, and was deservedly adjudged the Player of the Match for the same. Not only did he rescue the hosts from the doldrums with his 106 off 140 balls as England not only avoided follow-on but got close to the 300-mark, he was at it again during the 378-run chase as well.

Only this time he teamed up with fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root, who is in the form of a lifetime as he played the aggressor in the chase with an unbeaten 142 — his third ton in four matches this summer since stepping down as captain.

Anderson’s early inroads

Jimmy Anderson refuses to let his age, which is just 25 days short of the 40-mark, affect his bowling and the veteran seamer’s performance in the Edgbaston Test was yet another reminder to batters across the world that he still has it in him to dismantle opposition batting lineups.

James Anderson was the pick of the bowlers for England as he bagged a fifer in India’s first innings. AFP

Anderson was especially vicious in India’s first innings after England skipper Ben Stokes opted to bat under overcast conditions, extracting plenty of movement that hardly allowed the Indians batters to settle and putting them under pressure from the word go by removing both openers. Anderson walked away with figures of 5/60 in the first innings, his 32nd Test fifer, and was economical in the second innings (1/46) building pressure from his end.

India and their fourth innings woes

India have developed a pattern in Test cricket this year — that of their bowling unit being made to look pedestrian while defending targets. It happened twice in South Africa earlier this year, with the Proteas cruising to seven-wicket victories at Johannesburg and Cape Town after being set 240 and 212 respectively to win.

A target of 378 would’ve given the Bumrah-led visitors a lot more hope at Edgbaston, but somehow the old problems resurfaced for the Indian attack as barring the skipper, none of the bowlers were among the wickets and they got thoroughly outplayed by Root and Bairstow.

With inputs from PTI

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