Bit of me almost wanted India to get 450, to see what we'd do: Stokes

Skipper Ben Stokes heaped heavy praise on Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root after the two helped England chase down a record target of 378 in the rescheduled fifth and final Test against India at Edgbaston. Under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, England have now won four Tests in a row and have done that by chasing above 270 in each game.

"When the lads play like this, it makes my job easier. When you have clarity like we have in the dressing room, it makes chasing totals like this easier. 378 would have been scary five weeks ago, but now it's all good," said Stokes, who also didn't forget what Alex Lees and Zak Crawley did on day four. 

The two openers added 107 in 21.4 overs and set a solid platform for Root and Bairstow. "Jonny and Root will get all the credit, but the precedent was set up by the way the openers played against Bumrah and Shami with the new ball," he added.

"We are trying to rewrite how Test cricket is played in England. All our plans from the last four-five weeks is what we want to take ahead. Bowling on the top of off isn't important, it is all about taking ten wickets. We know that we want to give some new life to Test cricket."

Talking to Sky Sports, Stokes added: "Don't know where it (the line) is. There was a bit of me that almost wanted them to get 450, to see what we'd do.

"I said yesterday after we finished the day's play, look at how teams will be viewing us at the moment, that third innings now has become a fourth innings - because they have to concentrate on how we're going to play, and they're worried about that. So to be in that position as a team, being feared before they've even finished their innings is an unbelievable place to be in. Teams don't know how to play the third innings, especially when they've got a lead."

Bairstow, who smoked a century in each innings, was named Player of the Match. The right-hander has been in some form this year, having amassed 994 runs in eight Tests at a stunning average of 76.46, studded with six centuries. And, he has done that at a strike rate of 76.2. 

"It is great fun at the moment. The last month has been fantastic for the lads and the smiles on their faces when everyone does well is a massive part of it. I am stripping it back to the basics. The last few years have been tough on me but the last few months have been fantastic. Fair play to everyone who went through that," said Bairstow.

"I just have an enjoyment factor now. I am not afraid of failing and just want to put the pressure on the opposition. We are going to lose games with the approach we have, but it is a positive fun brand of cricket to play. The chase was all under control (laughs). They have some world-class bowlers and you just have to soak the pressure. They try to intimidate, they have some fantastic players and it was about trying to shift the pressure on them."

Bairstow put on an unbeaten stand of 269 with Root for the fourth wicket. The former remained unbeaten on 114, while Root slammed 142* off 173. "Root and me are just two lads from Yorkshire. We have grown up playing together and spent a lot of time together from the Yorkshire academy days to the Test team now. Special to play with him."

It was Root who was named England's Player of the Series. The former England skipper hammered 737 runs in five Tests at an average of 105.28, decorated with four hundreds and one fifty. Since 2021, Root has scored 2635 runs in 43 innings at 61.28. In this period, he has hit 11 centuries and five half-centuries.

"Love playing. It's as simple as that. The environment has been great and the guys are having fun in the last four weeks. There is absolute clarity when we were chasing it down and there was total belief. Absolutely didn't think of stepping away from the game," said Root.

Talking about his form, Root said: "It is something you are constantly searching for and something you rarely find. You want to keep it as fun as possible. I have accepted that you aren't going to have success all the time. As a 5-10 year old kid, having fun is what you want and that is what is the most enjoyable part of the career."