England v India: Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow complete record chase at Edgbaston

England achieved their highest successful pursuit in Test cricket and the ninth- largest in the history of the game, thanks to centuries from Joe and Jonny Bairstow.

One of England's all-time greatest victories was achieved when Root and Bairstow coasted with incredible ease to take England's overnight total to 258.

Bairstow's 114 not out was his second century of the match.

They carried England to a new height in what is turning into a spectacular summer.

It is the greatest validation to date of England's positive approach to Test cricket that the win ensures a 2-2 draw.

Their next series is with South Africa in August, while a completely different squad is playing the first of three T20s against India on Thursday.

Bazball scales new heights

Five weeks ago, England's Test cricket was in a state of disrepair, with the task of reviving a team that had won only once in 17 attempts being taken on by the two new players.

It felt like a different prospect to play 'Bazball' against the Indians than it did against New Zealand.

There was a lot of pressure on the home side during this match. They were 83-5 in response to India's first-innings, and India were 322 ahead with five second-innings left.

Thanks to the cavalier progress they made on the fourth day, England's insistence that they could chase any target was proven correct.

The fifth morning was almost anticlimactic.

Despite all of the available free tickets being taken, Edgbaston was far from full and the chase was over.

Can this new England achieve anything?

Root and Bairstow lead England romp

The Yorkshire batting maestros have been exhausted. Bairstow's fourth hundred was his sixth of the year and his 11th of the year.

India was ragged from their rebuild from Tuesday. India had fielders scattered when Root and Bairstow resumed on Tuesday.

The drives were dreamy and the clips were cute. He put Mohammed Siraj to third man for his 28th Test ton. The man was hit over his head for four and then reverse-snapped for six.

Bairstow was more circumspect, but still made a lot of noise. He only showed nerves on 99, going to three figures with a pinched single off Jadeja and a hug from Root.

It took almost an hour before lunch for victory to be completed.

India miss their chance

This is a big loss for India. They missed out on a series win in England for the first time in seven years because of a Covid outbreak in their backroom staff.

This is the largest target they have failed to defend in Tests.

They made a selection error in omitting spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, they carelessly threw away a dominant position when they were batting in their secondinnings, and England overwhelmed them in the run chase.

Had Jasprit Bumrah not been called in, the tourists might not have made the mistakes.

Nothing would have stopped England's play.