England trounced India by 266 runs to win their first Test match in 352 days at the Ageas Bowl.
Moeen Ali took six wickets in the second innings as England ended the contest before lunch on the final day to tie the five-Test series at 1-1.
Ali and James Anderson led England's surge, with the latter setting aside any concerns over the disciplinary proceedings he must face on Friday morning over his spat with Ravindra Jadeja in the first Test, to provide England with the early impetus in the final strait at the Ageas Bowl.
The lynchpin seamer finished with match figures of seven for 77, after taking the first two of six wickets England still needed on day five to make it 1-1 with two to play.
Anderson may well be absent, depending on the outcome of his Level 3 charge, when these two teams rejoin battle on his home ground at Emirates Old Trafford next week.
Moeen (six for 67) surely will be in action in Manchester, though, increasingly belying his billing as a mere part-time off-spinner after taking his series tally to 15 victims and counting, and match haul to eight with his maiden five-wicket return here.
Only Ajinkya Rahane's defiant and unbeaten 52 held England up for long, after India resumed on 112 for four still in notional pursuit of a world-record 445 but were bowled out before lunch for 178.