New Delhi: It’s easier said than done to go after improbable targets for a win in Test matches, even when a rather comfortable draw is on the offer and is the easy alternative. But not when you are Bredon McCullum’s England. ‘Bazball’ has not only England’s changed approach in the whites, but it has also instilled their most defiant principle in recent times – to not bat for draws, but look for wins.

England have also walked the talk on several occasions. From declaring on the opening day of Test matches to chasing down mammoth 4th innings totals. But not on Sunday. Shubman Gill’s India had Bazball on its knees, trapping England in their own web to record a thumping 336-run victory in the 2nd Test between the two sides at Edgbaston in England.

Skipper Gill’s mammoth 430-run match aggregate and a 10-wicket match haul from pacer Akash Deep saw India script history at Edgbaston by clinching their first-ever Test victory at the venue. After setting up a daunting 608-run target in their second innings, India bundled out England for a paltry 271 inside two sessions on a rain-affected final day to pull off a memorable win and level the five-match series 1-1.

After Akash Deep’s fiery spell reduced them to 72/3 at stumps on Day 4, the writing was on the wall for England. With the hosts requiring 556 runs and India only 7 wickets away from victory on the final day, the stage was set for Bazball’s first real test in the series. Do they go for the quite improbable or do they settle for a draw?

Despite their audacious claims that no target was beyond their reach, England knew a win was nearly impossible. They had a more realistic chance of preserving their wickets on the final day and playing for a draw, which would have kept them in the lead in the series. But the hosts went with their instincts and were........

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