England rode unbeaten a whole bunch by Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to drag off their highest profitable chase, coasting to a series-levelling seven-wicket victory within the rearranged fifth check towards India at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
Chasing 378 for victory, England went into the ultimate day needing 119 runs with seven wickets in hand.
Root went on to smash a masterly 142 not out, his twenty eighth check century, forging a mammoth 269-run partnership for the unbroken wicket with Bairstow.
Root’s elegant hundred was studded with 19 boundaries and a six.
Bairstow’s unbeaten 114, which included 15 fours and a six, was his second hundred of the match as England triumphed with two periods to spare.
England’s earlier highest profitable run chase got here in 2019 once they reached a 359-run goal in an Ashes check towards Australia on the again of Stokes’s good unbeaten century.
It was an incredible turnaround by England who had been on the again foot after conceding a major first-innings lead of 132.
Root and Bairstow confirmed the type of sustained aggression which is rapidly turning into the hallmark of this England check group since Brendon McCullum took over as the top coach and Ben Stokes assumed captaincy.
Root grew a lot in confidence that he handled Shardul Thakur like a spinner, stepping out towards the seamer after which enjoying an audacious reverse-scoop towards him that sailed over for a six.
Bairstow introduced up his fourth hundred in 5 innings with a decent single earlier than hitting Mohammed Siraj for 3 successive boundaries.