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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA Web Desk |Updated: Jul 05, 2022, 07:57 PM IST
Chasing 378 for victory, England went into the final day needing 119 runs with seven wickets in hand. Root went on to smash a masterly 142 not out, his 28th test century, forging a mammoth 269-run partnership for the unbroken fourth wicket with Bairstow.
Root's elegant hundred was studded with 19 boundaries and a six. Bairstow's unbeaten 114, which included 15 fours and a six, was his second hundred of the match as England triumphed with two sessions to spare.
England's previous highest successful run chase came in 2019 when they reached a 359-run target in an Ashes test against Australia on the back of Stokes's brilliant unbeaten century.
Here's how netizens reacted to England's emphatic win.
Overrated Indian cricket team put in place by English batsmen #indiavseng — Major Omer Khalid Sultan (Retd) (@oksultan97) July 5, 2022
Today Amezing match super brilliant Batting Root and Birstwo England win by 7 wickets congratulations England teem Root and Birstwo very important roll 5 th test match but today india try to 5th test congratulations india teem iam indian fan — Satish (@SatishC76630297) July 5, 2022
India lost the 5th test against England and it can cost them WTC 2023 Final. https://t.co/7eSZe47jkS pic.twitter.com/07de2xIp1T
— Arin Podder (@arin_podder) July 5, 2022
Rahul Dravid should have played Ashwin not Shardul Thakur in 5th Test #INDvENG Indian Cricket was better with Kohli Ravi Shastri #INDvsEND Team India failed to defend Big score in Test Cricket South Africa & England #JoeRoot is legend#BazBall great Coach — Gulshan Arora (@GulshanArora21) July 5, 2022
It was a tremendous turnaround by England who had been on the back foot after conceding a significant first-innings lead of 132. Root and Bairstow showed the kind of sustained aggression which is quickly becoming the hallmark of this England test team since Brendon McCullum took over as the head coach and Ben Stokes assumed the captaincy.
READ: Here's how Joe Root has fared as compared to other 'fab 4' players since 2021
Root grew so much in confidence that he treated Shardul Thakur like a spinner, stepping out against the seamer and then playing an audacious reverse-scoop against him that sailed over for a six.
Bairstow, who bagged the player-of-the-match award, brought up his fourth hundred in five innings with a tight single before hitting Mohammed Siraj for three successive boundaries.
The five-match series against India could not be completed last year following COVID-19 cases in the India camp ahead of the final match at Old Trafford.
