England won the fifth Test against India despite being behind in most of the sessions. A record run chase of 378 runs ensured that the India-England series remained levelled. One batter that has come out of this series with flying colours is Joe Root.
While chasing a huge total against India, the right-arm batter reached his 28th century and in the process become the best Test batter in the world right now. The ex-captain ended the match with 142* on 173 deliveries and won the game with a 269-run partnership with Jonny Bairstow.
India was asked to bat first by England, wherein they had a poor start to their innings. India was 98/5 on Day one when Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja came on to bat. The two southpaws made sensational centuries and took India to a massive 416/10 in the first innings. Indian bowling, having gotten the security of a good score on board, dominated the English side and bowled them out at just 284/10.
With more than a 100 runs lead, the Indian side came onto bat again in the second innings but could only muster 245 runs. England captain Ben Stokes came up with a four-wicket hall to stop the Indian scoreboard.
Root and Bairstow made light work of the run chase
This was still a very big target for the England side to chase, despite playing on a pitch that would deteriorate on the fourth and fifth day. England’s batters were at it with Alex Lees (56) and Zak Crawley (46) giving a good start to the side. It was, however, Root and Jonny Bairstow who made a world record partnership of 269* against India. This is the highest partnership for the third or lower wicket in Test cricket.
India was totally outplayed by Root and Bairstow and they could do nothing to stop that in the end. With this win, England levelled the series 2-2 and the BazBall juggernaut marches on.
Let’s look at some of the tweets in awe of Joe Root’s innings
4th Test hundred of the series for this amazing Run machine, Joe Root. The best test batsman in the world right now #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/aypOmWLFTW
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) July 5, 2022
Joe Root is absolute Run machine. Brilliant ?
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 5, 2022
Fab 4 Test centuries at 2021 start:
1. Virat Kohli – 27.
2. Steven Smith – 26.
3. Kane Williamson – 24.
4. Joe Root – 17.Fab 4 Test centuries now:
1. Root – 28*.
2. Smith – 27.
3. Kohli – 27.
4. Williamson – 24.– Impeccable Root!
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 5, 2022
Joe Root's 4th Test ton of the #ENGvIND series, 5th this year, 8th in the last 11 months and 11th since the start of 2021.
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) July 5, 2022
Joe Root now has scored 9 Test hundreds against India – most by anyone in history.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 5, 2022
Joe Unstoppable Root in Test cricket. pic.twitter.com/DYrEJeR8bG
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 5, 2022
Live scenes of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/baF2q7jkUt
— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) July 5, 2022
Joe Root is to the phenomenon that everyone in England loves referring to as BazBall what a keyboardist is to a heavy metal band. Adds such melody and harmony to the double-bass rhythm & the high-octane riffs that surrounds him #ENGvIND
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) July 5, 2022
Root has also just gone past 700 runs – at an average above 100 – for the series. He's made 4 centuries in it and has over 300 more runs than anyone else. Bairstow is second.
— George Dobell (@GeorgeDobell1) July 5, 2022
Imagine how good a batsman must be to finally break the 27th Test ton curse. Brilliant, as always. Root!
— Manya (@CSKian716) July 5, 2022
Highest partnership for 3rd or lower wicket while chasing in Tests:
269* – J Bairstow & J Root??????? v IND, 2022?
251 – C Serjeant & G Wood?? v WI, 1978
242 – S Masood & Y Khan?? v SL, 2015
238 – A Gilchrist & J Langer?? v PAK, 1999#ENGvIND— Md Asiqul Islam ?? (@MdAsiqulIslam6) July 5, 2022
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten partnership was 269 in 315 balls
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) July 5, 2022
