England close in on incredible Test series draw against India
The target at Lord’s was 277, it was 299 at Trent Bridge and 296 at Headingley; but if England complete their chase of India on the final day of the fifth Test match against India today it will be a monumental chase of 378.
On Saturday afternoon, as England began – badly – chasing down a first innings total of over 400 on a rainy day in Birmingham, the thought of being within reach on the final day of this delayed series seemed distant.
But here, on the morning of the final day England are just 119 shy of completing a record run chase – and it really can go down as a team effort.
If this is what the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era looks like on home turf then fans across the country will be hoping it never ends.
Work to do for England
There remains work to do, but a 100-run stand by openers Alex Lees and Zak Crawly was a welcome sight after a number of misfiring attempts, and the glorious partnership of 150 between stalwart Yorkshiremen Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root will make up a key part of the entry into the history books should this run chase be completed.
And again, following a new and welcome tradition in English cricket, day five is free. Over 20,000 tickets were handed out yesterday in return for voluntary donations to the Bob Willis Foundation’s fight against prostate cancer.
India lead this revisited series 2-1 but this Test – delayed from last year due to Indian Covid-19 fears – offered Stokes a new mentality.
The whitewash over New Zealand was one thing but coming from a series deficit to draw level and save face is a completely new battle.
India’s innings yesterday started to falter; Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Shami among those who went cheaply – but the visitors had the scoreboard on their side.
Already over 100 runs ahead after the first innings were completed, India simply needed to build a score – and they set 378 as their defensive front.
Jeered and cheered
Edgbaston cheered, jeered and entered into a wormhole of pandemonium as Lees past his half-century and Root and Bairstow hit 76 not out and 72 not out respectively.
And at stumps on day four, at a sun-drenched Edgbaston, the duo walked off having again proven their undeniable importance to this squad.
Root, fresh off a player of the series gong against New Zealand, was steady; picking off any lazy bowling and working well with his partner to rotate the strike and communicate.
Bairstow, one of world cricket’s in-form Test players, did his thing – he took his time to settle before launching into overdrive.
A five-innings run of 136, 162, 71 not out, 106 and 72 not out is sensational for a player many suggested should be left out over the winter.
He was dropped by Hanuma Vihari when he had amassed just 14 runs and dropped again by Pant – who has otherwise been brilliant across the opening four days – on 39.
India failed to take their chances, and as today’s play get’s set to be played out in front of another sold out crowd – it’s ironic that much of England’s rebuild is coming from Yorkshire; a county who have for so long, rightly, been the subject to much criticism.
So as the Barmy Army sing “Don’t take me home, please don’t take me home” this morning, and England edge closer to what would be their greatest run chase ever, there’s a growing desire of whatever is beginning to motor in English cricket to never, ever end.