Root, Bairstow power mad dash to 378

England’s Bold New Approach Continues To Impress As Team Quickly Chips Away At Tall Target To Turn 5th Test On Its Head

- Nitin Naik

When England skipper Ben Stokes elected to field on Day One, saying his side is confident of chasing down scores like they had done against New Zealand, there was a lot of criticism and debate since Edgbaston generally favours teams batting first. But as England reached 259/3 in their chase of 378 on Day Four on Monday, one got a feeling he knew what he was talking about. Hello ‘Bazball’!

With the pitch flattening and the sun out, the much vaunted Indian bowling, barring skipper Jasprit Bumrah, looked toothless as Joe Root (batting 76, 110 balls, 9x4) and Jonny Bairstow (batting 72, 89 balls, 8x4) played risk-free cricket and added 150 runs in the post-tea session.

India have themselves to blame though as they had opportunities. Hanuma Vihari, strangely placed at widish second slip, with shin pads on, when better fielders in that position like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were available, dropped the in-form Bairstow off Mohammed Siraj on 14 when the score was 153. India’s shoulders after that chance was fluffed just dropped as Bairstow, with over 900 runs this year, made them pay.

His great mate from Yorkshire, the talismanic Joe Root, put the run out of opener Alex Lees out of his mind to produce another masterful innings where he played late and tackled Ravindra Jadeja from over the wicket into the rough, with skill. The two ran singles and twos by pushing the ball into the gaps and when the bad ball came along, which was often, they got boundaries to whittle down the target in a hurry.