England vs India 5th Test Edgbaston 2022: England Won Chasing 378 — Stokes 83*, Root 142*
The rescheduled fifth Test between England and India was played at Edgbaston, Birmingham from 1–5 July 2022 — the first Test under Ben Stokes's captaincy on home soil after it was delayed from the 2021 tour due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the India camp. India won the first innings (India 416, England 284). India 2nd innings: 245 (Stokes 3/33). England chased 378 to win — Root 142 not out, Stokes 83 not out — England won by 7 wickets. This was the defining Bazball moment of 2022 — England chasing 378 on the final day to win a Test. The 2021 series ended 2-2 (India led 2-1 but could not play the 5th Test). This rescheduled Test, won by England 1-0, brought the overall series result to 2-2. England captain: Ben Stokes (debut home Test as captain). India captain: Rohit Sharma (who made 83 in the 1st innings).
The fifth Test between England and India at Edgbaston (1–5 July 2022) was a rescheduled match — it had originally been scheduled to be the final Test of India's 2021 tour of England, but was called off due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Indian camp. When it was finally played in July 2022, it was Ben Stokes's first Test as England captain on home soil — and it became one of the most celebrated moments of the Bazball era.
India's Strong First Innings and England's Deficit
India batted first and posted 416 in their first innings — Rohit Sharma scoring 83 and Shubman Gill 17. England replied with 284, giving India a first-innings lead of 132. In their second innings, India scored 245 — Ben Stokes taking 3/33 with the ball. England were set a target of 378 runs to win — a total that would have been considered well beyond reach under the defensive pre-Bazball approach. It was the largest chase ever successfully completed by England in Test cricket.
Root's 142* and Stokes's 83* — The 378 Chase
Joe Root batted with astonishing quality, scoring 142 not out. Ben Stokes came in and played the captain's role to perfection, scoring 83 not out. The pair added an unbroken 269 runs for the fifth wicket, completing the chase with 7 wickets in hand. England won by 7 wickets — completing the 378-run chase on the final day. The moment Root swept the winning runs became one of the defining images of Bazball. The rescheduled Test brought the overall 2021 series result to 2-2 (India had won the truncated 2021 series 2-1 with the 5th Test unplayed). The Edgbaston chase confirmed that under Stokes and McCullum, no target was considered unreachable.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the Edgbaston Test between England and India in 2022?
England beat India by 7 wickets in the rescheduled 5th Test at Edgbaston on 1–5 July 2022, chasing 378 — England's largest-ever successful run chase. Joe Root scored 142* and Ben Stokes scored 83*, sharing an unbroken 5th-wicket stand of 269. It was Ben Stokes's first Test as England captain at home, and became the defining early moment of the Bazball era. The rescheduled match (delayed from 2021 due to COVID in India's camp) brought the overall series result to 2-2. Stokes also took 3/33 in India's second innings of 245.
Why is the England vs India Edgbaston Test 2022 significant in cricket history?
The Edgbaston Test (July 2022) is significant as the moment that defined Bazball as a credible Test cricket approach. England chased down 378 to win by 7 wickets — their largest-ever successful run chase in Test cricket. Root (142*) and Stokes (83*) added 269 unbroken for the fifth wicket. It was Stokes's first home Test as captain. Before Bazball, a 378-run chase on the final day would have been treated as an impossible target; under Stokes and McCullum, England attacked from the first ball and completed it comfortably.