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To take a 2-0 series lead in the five-match contest against India, England need to chase down a record-smashing 399 runs to win. The Three Lions, reenergized and boosted by the highly positive, attacking, never-say-die 'Bazball' approach of skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have turned into believers and dared to dream, thanks to the success this brand of cricket has given them over the last one and the half years.
One of these believers is the 41-year-old ageless pace wonder James Anderson. Going toe-to-toe with Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah on a surface barely providing any assistance to pacers, Anderson has taken five wickets in the match as compared to Bumrah's six. It was his pace and accuracy that helped restrict the fourth innings target to 399 runs, which very well could have been much more given the star power, quality and depth of Indian batting. The sport's most successful pace bowler during a press conference after the match said that the team believes it can chase down the total. The conversations with coach McCullum are optimistic to the extent that they are ready to even have a crack at chasing 600 runs. Anderson feels that there is enough quality in the team to chase down massive totals. "The chat last night from the coach was that if they get 600, we were going to go for it," said Anderson as quoted by Sky Sports. "We have got so much quality in our dressing room and there are guys in there who can maybe get 150 for us and win us the game," he added. The pace veteran said that India was cautious despite getting a big lead and was nervous in the way they batted. "They were quite cautious even when they had a big lead. I think the nerves were there to see in the way they batted. I think they did not know how many was enough," he said. "I do not know if 'intimidating' is the right word but we are putting different thoughts in the opposition's minds and captain's minds," Anderson added. Notably, the highest successful run-chase in Test history belongs to West Indies, when they chased down 418 against Australia at home in 2023. England's highest successful run-chase was 378 runs during the fifth and rescheduled Test of the 2021 home series against India at Edgbaston in 2022. England's chase was driven by massive centuries from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. Now, it is upto these two stars to lead the time from the front in the chase again. The highest total chased down in India is 387 runs chased by the hosts against England in Chennai back in 2008. But no touring side has managed to chase down higher than 276 runs successfully scored by the West Indies during the Delhi Test back in 1987. If 399 runs are chased down, England will break their own record in run-chase and establish a new high, a new measuring stick for greatness for the teams touring India. Only time will tell if a successful run-chase will take place. Coming to the match, England ended the day three at 67/1, chasing 399 runs to win, with Zak Crawley (29*) and Rehan Ahmed (9*) unbeaten. India gained a 398-run lead in their second innings after being bundled out for 255. Shubman Gill roared into form with a classy 104 in 147 balls with 11 fours and two sixes, scoring a fifty-plus score after 12 innings. Contributions from Axar Patel (45 in 84 balls with six fours), Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer (29 runs each) helped India secure a big lead. Tom Hartley (4/77) and Rehan (3/88) were the pick of the bowlers for England. Led by Jasprit Bumrah's heroics, India had earlier bundled out England for just 253 in their first innings, gaining a 143-run lead. Zak Crawley (76 in 78 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes) did launch an impressive counterattack, but Bumrah (6/45) along with spinner Kuldeep Yadav (3/71) blew away the rest of the English line-up. India reached a respectable total of 396 runs in their first innings mainly due to the maiden double-hundred of the young Yashasvi Jaiswal (209 in 290 balls, with 19 fours and seven sixes). Knocks from Shubman Gill (34), Rajat Patidar (32), Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel (27 each) provided some help to the left-handed batter. (ANI)
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