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IND vs ENG: Numbers can't define what happened when the Indian team played against England in their backyard during the 2021/22 series- which was full of brilliant batting performances and bowling performances, the fans applauding at Lord's, the heartbreak they suffered at Headingley and Rishabh Pant's brilliance at Edgbaston. That series explained why Test cricket was still considered as the pinnacle of the sport.

Before the upcoming five-match Test series, let's take a recap as to what happened during the 2021/22 Pataudi trophy:

First Test – Trent Bridge, Nottingham: A Rain-Soaked Prelude

The series opener was held at Trent Bridge, which was a closely fought match. The Ben Stokes-led side were skittled out for just 183 runs and then the visitors scored 278 runs, on the back of a gritty knock of 84 runs by KL Rahul. During England's second innings, Joe Root scored a brilliant knock of 109 runs and helped the hosts post a target of 209 runs.

The Rohit Sharma-led side was at 52/1 and the match soon turned out to be a nail-biting thriller. But rain played a spoilsport on the last day and that led to not a single ball being bowled and that Test match finished in a tie. But the series opener had set the foundation of a thrilling series.

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Second Test – Lord’s: The Theatre of Dreams Turns Blue

If there's one place, where history is bound to be created, then it's the Lord's Cricket Ground. In that match, the Men in Blue scripted history by getting their names etched on the honors board, which was also one of their brilliant wins in away matches. KL Rahul scored a match-winning knock of 129 runs during the first innings and thus helped the visitors post a respectable target. The hosts too chased the target on the back of Joe Root's unbeaten knock of 180 runs and thus reduced the gaps between the two teams.

The fifth day of the second Test match became quite legendary for the Men in Blue. The visitors began the day with a small lead, with a very strange batting duo of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, who stitched a gritty partnership and thus gave the English bowlers a hard time. Inspired by their brilliant batting performances, the Indian bowlers made a brilliant comeback. The pacers with their grit and determination, rattled England's batting lineup.

Mohammed Siraj spearheaded India's bowling attack, as he took eight wickets during that game and helped the team script history. The Rohit Sharma-led side won the match by 151 runs and thus they etched history in the cricketing world.

Third Test – Headingley, Leeds: A Cold Reality Check

After winning the second Test match at Lord's, the Men in Blue got a reality check during the third Test match at Leeds. They suffered a batting collapse and could score just 78 runs during the first innings. The hosts took advantage of the pitch conditions and posted a mammoth target of 432 runs, where Joe Root smashed his third hundred of the series.

Even though the Rohit Sharma-led side did try to bounce back during the second innings, they couldn't recover from the initial blow. The Ben Stokes-led side won the match by 76 runs and an innings and this leveled the series at 1-1.

Fourth Test – The Oval: Redemption in the Capital

The Rohit Sharma-led side made a brilliant comeback during the fourth Test at the Oval after struggling during the first innings, as they showed grit and determination. Rohit Sharma, who played consistently throughout the series, finally scored his first hundred of the series, as he scored 127 runs and helped the team post a mammoth target of 466 during the second innings. His innings turned the tide of the match in Infdia's favor.

While chasing a target of 368 runs, the hosts succumbed under pressure. Jasprit Bumrah bowled reverse swing dangerously and Ravindra Jadeja's control over his line and length rattled England's batting lineup as the hosts were skittled out for just 210 runs. The Men in Blue won the match by 157 runs and were leading the series by 2-1.

The Fifth Test – Manchester: A Curtain Drawn Too Soon

And just when the fans were waiting for the series finale in Manchester, the Test series ended abruptly. An India staff member had tested positive for COVID-19 and that resulted in the fifth Test getting cancelled. Both the teams were disappointed and their fans were made to wait longer for this series to end.

The fifth and the last Test match was then held in 2022 but the buildup of this match wasn't that interesting as the Ben Stokes-led side won the match comprehensively and thus the series ended in a 2-2 draw.