England complete record breaking chase to draw series against India

Scenes from the test match between India and England (Photo: Getty Images/ESPN Cric Info)

England won their fifth LV Insurance Test match against India by seven wickets to end the series with a 2-2 draw.

England managed a record chase of 378 to beat India in rapid time on the final morning of the fifth Test at Edgbaston.

Centuries from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow took England to their highest successful pursuit in Test cricket and the ninth-largest in the history of the game.

Needing another 119 from their overnight 259-3, Root and Bairstow coasted with incredible ease, taking England to a memorable seven-wicket win, one of their all-time greatest victories.

Bairstow's 114 not out was his second century of the match, while Root ended unbeaten on 142 in an unbroken partnership of 269.

By the end, their partnership was the fourth-highest by any pair in the fourth innings of a Test, while the run chase surpassed the previous England record of 359, set when Stokes stunned Australia at Headingley in 2019.

This win secured a draw for England in the overall series.

England’s next series is with South Africa in August, while an entirely different squad under new white-ball captain Jos Buttler plays the first of three T20s against India on Thursday.

The home side were under huge pressure at different times during this match. They were 83-5 in response to India's first-innings 416, then on Monday India were 322 ahead with five second-innings wickets in hand.

This is the largest target India have failed to defend in Test cricket.

(BBC Sport)