England batter Joe Root hit a brilliant century in the fifth Test match against India at Edgbaston helping the home side defeat the visitors after chasing down a record 378-run target on day five.
This was the highest target chased down by England in England and the highest ever conceded by India and it all happened to two men in this Test match, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow.
Earlier Ben Stokes took four wickets as England managed to keep India’s lead to 377 runs after bowling them out for 245 in the second innings and set up the match nicely for his team as they once feared chasing something north of 400 runs.
Though the Indian bowlers took three wickets in England's second innings, the openers had already added 107 runs for the first wicket and then Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow came together to hammer the Indian bowlers out of contention on day four and completed the final rites on the fifth day.
England had ended day four on 259/3 with 119 runs still needed to win. India had some hope of a comeback into this match, but Root and Bairstow slammed those hopes from the start, as they went for their shots and pressure mounted on Indian bowlers.
Joe Root led from the front as he slammed 142 runs in 173 balls with 19 fours and 1 six with Bairstow supporting him with his second century of the match, scoring 114 in 145 balls with 15 fours and 1 six, adding 269* runs for the 4th wicket.
With his 737 runs in 5 Test matches, Joe Root broke Virat Kohli’s record 655 runs in the 2016 Test series for the most runs in a single England-India Test series. He was sublime with the bat throughout the series and this was just the cherry on top of what was a brilliant outing with the bat for the former England captain.
The cricket fraternity was all lauding Joe Root for his sublime batting and helping England win the Edgbaston Test.
Here are the tweets:
