299 runs chased in 50 overs.
The above target is more or less a standard template in Limited Overs Cricket which almost every team will fancy to chase in Limited Overs Cricket.
But in Test Cricket?
Well, it hasn't been chased before, until yesterday when England's Johnny Bairstow and Ben Stokes joined forces and Bairstow played the Innings of a Lifetime as England chased down 299 runs in the 4th Innings and bridged the invincible at Trent Bridge.
NewZealand started Day 5 at 224/7 with a lead of 238 runs in bank. England took the 3 wickets before lunch but New Zealand finished at 284 leaving England to chase 299 in 72 overs on a day 5 pitch.
Putting in to bat England opener Alex Lees batted with a positive intent but wickets fell all around him and England was left stranded at 93/4 in 25.2 overs with Lees being the last batsman being dismissed. That's when the duo of Ben Stokes and Johnny Bairstow joined on the crease.
The scoreboard told a story of England needing 206 runs from minimum 36.4 overs and New Zealand needed 6 wickets to win.
Stokes began on an aggressive note with a six over Southee and 2 back to back reverse sweep boundaries whereas Bairstow calmed the inside demons and played as per the merit of the balls. The duo went to Tea unharmed at 133/4 with Stokes (25*) and Bairstow (43*).
After the Tea, the duo switched gears as Bairstow tonked the hapless New Zealand bowlers all across Trent Bridge bringing up 50 runs in next 5 overs.
Bairstow brought up his remaining 57 runs from only 29 balls as he registered the 2nd fastest hundred for an English batsman in 77 balls. Bairstow was not done post the century as he went berserk after the bowlers. Bairstow finally finished at 136 runs from 92 balls scoring 14 boundaries and 7 sixes with England needing 27 to win.
Stokes did the remaining honours in style as he hit Boult for a six and two boundaries and took his team home. The English skipper remained unbeaten on 75 from 70 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes. England brought up the highest as well as their quickest run-chase in Test Cricket history.
The 2nd Test between England and New Zealand shattered many records like being the only Test Match in Test Cricket history where an aggregate of 1000+ runs was scored in boundaries and over-boundaries.
Johnny Bairstow's innings will remain as one of the best 4th Innings in Test Cricket History. A man known for his T20 prowess showed everyone the way to excel in Test Cricket for sure and it justifies the fact that Test Cricket is still the most entertaining format of the game of cricket.
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