Test cricket in English Summer is truly a joy to watch and when there are top class are up against each other with an aggressive approach then it is even better. The final and rescheduled test between You India and England was a great battle between bat and ball.
The final battle between Virat and Anderson
2 greats of the game James Anderson and Virat Kohli were up against each other probably for the one last time. We are lucky to see them for the years and enjoyed the battle between them and it finally it ended in Edgebaston. Anderson couldn't dismiss Virat but Virat also struggled in the test. Anderson dismissed him 7 times in his career while Virat scored 350 runs against him at an average of almost 40.
Pant's priceless cameo
India missed their regular openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul due to Covid and injury. Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara opened the innings but couldn't survive much in the overcast conditions against the English bowling attack. India was 98/5 at one moment with the big fish Virat Kohli was also back in the hut. James Anderson got 3 and Matty Potts got including Virat Kohli. Then the battle started between Pant and the English bowling attack. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja scored at the berserk rate and put the partnership over 200. English bowlers looked clueless at that moment and it was looking like Rishabh Pant will crush them but it wasn't the case. Joe Root got him out at 146 and England made a way back in the match. Jadeja continued from the other end he also scored a valuable 100 for the team.
Captain Bumrah joined the party
Due to the unavailability of Rohit Sharma Jasprit Bumrah got the opportunity to lead India for the 1st time. He didn't disappoint at all with his bat also he scored 35 runs in the over of Stuart Broad and made the new record in test cricket. Remember that Yuvraj Singh also hit 6 sixes in an over of Stuart Broad in the 2007 World Cup. India managed to score 416 in the 1st innings which was looking a good total.
Jasprit Bumrah didn't stop there and he started with the ball with a bang. He dismissed the English top order single-handedly. England was reduced to 83/5 at the end of the day with the huge wicket of No. 1 test batter Joe Root also gone.
Jonny Bairstow's purple patch continues
The next morning Jonny Bairstow was on 17 from 66 but then some words were exchanged between Virat and him and then he took Indian bowlers to the cleaners and ruined them. He scored another 100 but India continued to take wickets from the other end at regular intervals. Finally, Shami got Bairstow and gave a huge relief to his bowling partners.
England was all out on 284 and India got a healthy lead of 132.
In the last 5 years, it was the 15th time when Indian fast bowlers took all the 10 wickets in an inning, in the previous 85 years of Indian history it happened only 13 times. In the last 5 years, India's overall bowling average is 23.56 which is the best by any team in the world. Those stats should sum up the greatness of Indian bowlers. We always think that overseas batters struggle in SENA countries but it is always the bowlers who struggled the most in these conditions. And you always need to get 20 wickets in the test match to win and Indian bowlers did it nicely and that was the key to their success in SENA countries.
England came back in 2nd innings
India was rightly ahead till that point but English bowlers made a come-back in 2nd innings and didn't allow them to run ahead. Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant scored the 50s but the rest of the batters were truly clueless. Virat Kohli once again failed to score big and got out just 20 off Ben Stokes. Stokes got 4 wickets in the innings and pulled things pretty well.
England on the charge in the chase
England started the chase in their own typical fashion. Lees and Crawley put their foot on the accelerator right from the word go and put on 100 partnerships in no time. Then skipper himself Bumrah pulled things back with back-to-back wickets. Suddenly they were down to 109/3 and the match was even at that point. Then the dependable Duo Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow rise to the occasion. They put the show together and England was in the commanding position. They scored in their own style and at the end of Day 4 partnership was 150 and England required another 119 with 7 wickets in hand.
Quick. Efficient. Fuss-less.Effortless
Careless. Clinical. Stunningly dominant. 378 chased down. Who'd have thought! In 78 overs. Who'd have thought! With seven wickets in hand. Who'd have thought! By England no less. WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT! It's official, Bazball is real, and Jonny Bairstow is the true, blue McCullum successor. He has given up the gloves, he has reclaimed the middle-order, and he has truly become a beast. Joe Root isn't a run-machine for nothing. And together, they were unstoppable. They came together on the back of a collapse, with the Indians sensing blood, but just like that, the huntees became the hunters. Not one shot was played in anger. Not one shot was played in desperation. It was just clean positive batting, finding the gaps, and milking what was some pretty listless bowling. Their partnership: 254* in 365 balls.
Now, this young generation has changed the trend of test cricket. Chasing in the 4th innings at an uneven wicket is not a problem at all, especially with this English lineup. So this is the time to enjoy the era of Baz and Ben. On the other side, this will hurt India badly with this type of bowling attack they are allowed to chase over 350 with 7 wickets to spare. It means there was no competition at all and there were dead and buried. It will take time to regain them and to build a fine combination.
Here is position of points table after the end of India Vs England series. 
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