Category: England Cricket

England chased down the biggest fourth innings target in their Test history to beat India by seven wickets and square the postponed series at 2-2. England stood at 259-3 overnight, with Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow having already put on 150 for the fourth wicket. The pair knocked off the required 119 runs with ease, Root finishing on 142 not out and Bairstow 114 not out, as England reached 378 for three and the match was concluded half an hour before lunch. Root crafted his fifth Test hundred of the year, while Bairstow’s purple patch continued with a second century of the Test and fourth in his last five innings. Root said after the match: 'It's like how it felt when I first started playing.'

• Root and Bairstow ease England to record run chase against India
• Stokes wants England to be rock stars, says Root as India are left all shook up
• England beat India by seven wickets with record chase to draw series – as it happened

Jonny Bairstow was keen to play down his pointed conversation with Virat Kohli during the tense morning session after Kohli shushed the Yorkshireman at the fall of his wicket. “Nah, literally nothing to it,” he said. “Two very competitive people out on the field doing what they love, 11 guys that are very passionate about their country. It was great craic out there. I hope that clears it up.”

• Jonny Bairstow ready for England to chase any India total in fifth Test

• All-rounder will leave Worcestershire after 15 years at club
• England player came through academy at Warwickshire

Moeen Ali is expected to knock back a bumper contract offer from Yorkshire and complete a return to Warwickshire at the end of the season.

The England all-rounder, 35, is coming to the end of a five-year deal he signed at Worcestershire in 2017 and is poised to leave New Road this winter after a 15-year association with the club. There has been strong interest in Moeen since 1 June – the date after which counties are allowed to speak to out-of-contract players – and a particularly enticing offer on the table from Yorkshire.

The former head coach on the glorious dynamic he shared with ‘top notch’ Eoin Morgan, who has stood down as white-ball captain

A chat with Trevor Bayliss about Eoin Morgan’s England retirement begins with a practically audible wry smile down the phone line when the former head coach brings up the Test team’s daredevil approach during the 3-0 win against New Zealand.

“The interesting thing will be when it doesn’t work and whether you blokes get stuck into them for playing too many bloody shots,” says Bayliss from his home in New South Wales on the day Morgan announced his news. “Even during the Ashes [last winter], the English commentators were saying their players were getting bogged down and needed to be more proactive, play a few shots. Mate, where was that the previous few years? All I got was: ‘They’re playing too many.’”

• Uncapped Richard Gleeson included for T20 series
• Dawid Malan keeps T20 place but misses out on ODI squad

The in-form Yorkshire batter Harry Brook has been named in England’s squads for their Twenty20 and one-day international series against India this month.

Matt Parkinson has also been drafted in as fellow leg-spinner Adil Rashid will miss both series after being given permission by the England and Wales Cricket Board to make the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.