Ben Stokes hails ‘phenomenal’ Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow as England thrash India

Ben Stokes hailed the brilliance of Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root as England’s two finest exponents of ‘Bazball’ steered their side to a phenomenal seven-wicket win over India at Edgbaston.

The Yorkshire run machines ran riot on the fifth morning, feasting on India’s bowlers on their way to a stand of 269.

Bairstow made 114 not out for his second hundred of the match and his sixth this year, continuing a purple patch, while Root’s unbeaten 142 was a masterclass that took him to 28 Test tons.

<p lang=«en» dir=«ltr» xml:lang=«en»>A MASTER AT WORK ð Joe Root reaches his 28th Test ð¯ pic.twitter.com/Foox8o3DHM

England started day five needing another 119 but reached their target with ease in less than 25 overs and squared a series, which started last summer, at 2-2.

They are forging an entirely new identity under the adventurous captaincy of Stokes and the guidance of head coach Brendon McCullum.

After chasing targets of 277, 296, 299 and now a record 378 with a flourish this summer, England will fancy their chances against South Africa come August, especially if Bairstow and Root remain at their imperious best.

‘As people from Yorkshire say, ‘strong Yorkshire, strong England’. It couldn’t be more true right now,’ said Stokes afterwards.

‘These two are just phenomenal. Rooty has been doing it for 10 years and Jonny has just honestly been ridiculous over the last five or six weeks. He has got runs but it is the way that he has done it – it’s exactly what we talk about.

‘He has embraced it and just gone out and there and done it. The clarity he’s been given has just really helped him go out and do what he’s done over the last five weeks. It is like watching him play white-ball cricket at the moment.’

On his new-look England, Stokes