ENG vs IND | 5th Test Day 4 | England well on course to chase highest total at Edgbaston

England have set their eyes well and are all set to chase the highest-ever target at Edgbaston after the end of Day 4 in the fifth and final Test fixture against India. 

The day’s proceedings began with India at 125/3. The duo of Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara started on a positive note by hitting odd boundaries. 

However, Pujara (66) holed out to Alex Lees at backward point off Stuart Broad in the eighth over of the day. Then came Shreyas Iyer, who hit glorious cover drives to release the pressure and get his confidence back. 

But, the short ball tactic again worked when Matthews Potts delivered an accurate bouncer, and Iyer (19) smashed it straight to the fielder at mid-wicket. 

A couple of overs later, Jack Leach was introduced into the attack. Pant, who was dismissive of the spinner in the first innings, started off the over with a four over the backward square-leg area. But, his reverse sweep in the subsequent ball managed to find Root at the first slip and made way to his pavilion for 57 of 86. 

Ravindra Jadeja (23) and Mohammed Shami (13) could not hold much longer, as the visitors were dismissed for a score of 245, with a lead of 377 runs. 

Openers set up the chase for the Three Lions

English openers Alex Lees and Zak Crawley, who were dismissed on a single-digit score in the first innings, used the sunny weather and helped England to start off in an optimistic manner. 

Lees was the key aggressor in this partnership and ensured to send the bad balls to the boundary. The cuts, sweep shots, and cover drives were the highlight of his innings. His partner, Crawley, started on a cautious note but soon came into his full flow as the innings progressed. 

At the stroke of tea, the Indian team found luck going in their favour, as the changed ball was being taken to use after the old one was damaged. 

Crawley misjudged the length and swing of Bumrah to get clean-bowled and perished for a well-made 46 off 76. This ended the 107-run opening stand. 

In the first ball of the third session, Bumrah induced an edge of Ollie Pope (0) off a good-length ball. In the next over, the mix-up between Lees and Root caused the former to get run-out for 56 off 65. 

The in-form batters Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow recovered the team after a cluster of wickets. Bairstow got a reprieve at a score of 13 by Vihari, and Pant could not pluck a tough catch when the batter was at 39. 

Both the batters were clinical with their approach to wait patiently for the bad balls and score runs at a brisk manner. In the final session, the home team scored 152 runs in 34 overs at a rate of 4.47 and are at 259/3. 

The morning session will be critical for the Indian bowlers to create inroads into the English batting line-up; otherwise, the series is expected to end 2-2. 

Brief Scores: 

India (1st innings) - 416/10 (84.5)

Rishabh Pant 146 (111), Ravindra Jadeja 104 (194);

James Anderson 5/60, Matty Potts 2/105

England (1st innings) - 284/10 (61.3)

Jonny Bairstow 106 (140), Sam Billings 36 (57); 

Mohammed Siraj 4/66

India (2nd innings) - 245/10 (81.5)

Cheteshwar Pujara 66 (168), Rishabh Pant 57 (86)

Ben Stokes 4/33, Matty Potts 2/50

England (2nd innings) - 259/3 (57)

Joe Root 76 (112); Jonny Bairstow 72 (87), 

Jasprit Bumrah 2/53

England need 119 runs, and India need seven to win.