The Indian team had no answers to Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow’s batting carnage in the fifth Test match at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. The hosts chased down 378 runs, comfortably in the fourth innings with seven wickets to spare. Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah blamed the Indian batting unit for letting England make a comeback in the match.
The Indian team took a massive first-innings lead of 132 runs, bowling England out for 284 runs. However, in the second innings, their batting attack could stand up to the challenge of England skipper Ben Stokes’ bowling spell. They managed to score 245 runs, setting England a target of 378 in the fourth innings.
“That’s the beauty of Test cricket, even if you have three good days. We fell short with the bat yesterday and that is where we let the opposition in to let the match slip away from us. Ifs and buts can always be there,” said the Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah at the post-match presentation.
The hosts came out all guns blazing in the fourth innings. They played positively, putting pressure on the Indian bowlers. Alex Lees and Zak Crawley put together a century opening stand to get them off to a flying start. Further, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow made sure that the Indian team does not find a window to make a comeback in the game.
Sit back, watch and enjoy ❤️🏏
🏴 #ENGvIND 🇮🇳
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 5, 2022
We could have been a little straighter in our bowling lines: Jasprit Bumrah
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow registered a 269 runs partnership for the fourth wicket. They not only bailed England out of trouble but also pushed the Indian side out of the game. The duo remained unbeaten with Root at 142 runs, and Bairstow scoring 114.
Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah shed some light on where the Indian bowling unit faltered in the fourth innings. He expressed that they could have bowled straighter and used the variable bounce that the wicket offered. Bumrah also spoke about his experience of leading the Indian team in the Test. He said,
“We could have been a little straighter in our bowling lines and used the variable bounce. The captaincy is not what I decide. I like the responsibility. It was a good challenge, a new challenge. It was an honor to lead the team and a great experience.”
With a seven-wickets win over India in the fifth Test match, England leveled the Pataudi Trophy 2-2. Jonny Bairstow earned the Player of the Match award for his twin hundreds in the match. Meanwhile, Joe Root and Jasprit Bumrah won the Player of the Series awards for their respective teams in the series.
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