Picture courtesy: P A Photos/Getty Images
New Delhi: India will have to share the Pataudi Trophy with England as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow chase down the leftover 119 runs on day 5. With just one-and-a-half hours of play and 19.4 overs bowled, day 5 proved to be a short day at Edgbaston. With this series getting levelled, India still has not won a Test series in England since 2007.
The ‘Bazball’ chase
The ‘Bazball’ approach again showed its worth as England chased down a massive target of 378 runs against a bowling lineup that has Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj to test the batsmen. The chase began well as Alex Lees and Zack Crawley posted a hundred-run opening stand. The pitch proved to be flatter and moreover, the Indian bowlers were giving loose deliveries to hit boundaries. This all along with good intent and technique shown by the English batters proved to be a chase that can be an advertisement for exciting Test cricket.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow started day 5 from where they left on day 4. Both the batsmen hit centuries and chased the score without losing any wicket. The 269 runs partnership between them gave no chance to the Indian bowlers. Jonny Bairstow is named as the ‘Player of the Match’ for his centuries in both innings. Joe Root ended with 142*(173) and Bairstow on the other hand scored 114*(145).
India has dropped many catches be it Virat Kohli, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah or Hanuma Vihari. This is a department the Indian side should improve upon as Bairstow being dropped on 14 runs by Vihari cost India the game.
Stats for the series
Joe Root scored the highest runs in the 2022 Pataudi Trophy. He scored 737 runs at an average of 105.28 with 4 centuries scored and he is also named the ‘Player of the Series’. India’s captain in the 5th test, Jasprit Bumrah bagged the highest number of wickets in the series by taking 23 wickets at an average of 22.47.
What lies ahead?
India still stands fourth on the standings of the ICC World Test Championship with the percentage of wins dropping to 52.08% as also faced a penalty of 2 points and 40% of the match fees for being 2 overs short in their over rate. India will be playing 4 games against Australia at home, which will be crucial as Australia is at the top of the table with 77.78%. The Indian side has another away Test series against Bangladesh.
On the other hand, England, despite their four consecutive wins, stands at 7th place with 33.33%. With just 3 matches left against South Africa, England does not have practical chances to qualify for the finals.
India’s tour to England is not over yet, there are 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs left to be played. In the remainder of the tour, Rohit Sharma will return to captain the Indian side.
