England Triumphs Over India with Historic Chase at Headingley

England's Remarkable Victory

Leeds [UK], June 25: Ben Duckett's impressive innings of 149 set the stage for a remarkable run chase as England successfully pursued a target of 371, defeating India by five wickets at Headingley. This victory gives England a 1-0 advantage in the five-match Test series.

Starting the final day with all ten wickets intact, England exhibited remarkable composure throughout their innings. By Tea, they were comfortably positioned at 269/4, thanks to a solid 49-run partnership between captain Ben Stokes and Joe Root.

England crossed the 300-run mark in the 66.4 overs, but shortly after, Stokes was dismissed for 33 while attempting a reverse sweep off Ravindra Jadeja, which was caught by Shubman Gill. This was India's only breakthrough in the final session, leaving England at 302/5.

Joe Root and Jamie Smith then took charge, steering England to victory with an unbroken 71-run partnership. Root played a steady innings, scoring 53 off 84 balls, while Smith contributed a brisk 44 off 55, finishing the match with a six off Jadeja, bringing the score to 373/5 in just 82 overs.

India's bowling struggled under pressure, with frequent misfields and dropped catches adding to their difficulties. Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna each took two wickets but were expensive, conceding 51 and 92 runs respectively, while Ravindra Jadeja ended with figures of 1/104.

Despite the defeat, India's batting lineup had notable performances, with five players scoring centuries: Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134 and 118 in both innings), and KL Rahul (137). This marks a record for the most centuries by a team in a losing Test match, surpassing Australia's four centuries in their loss to England in the 1928/29 Melbourne Test.

Earlier, India had its moments with Prasidh and Shardul's impressive spells, but England maintained control with a flurry of runs. Duckett and Zak Crawley continued to build pressure on the Indian bowlers.

Jasprit Bumrah appeared ineffective, Mohammed Siraj struggled to find his rhythm, and Prasidh Krishna was searching for form. However, India managed a late resurgence with some brilliant bowling from Prasidh and Shardul.

Crawley patiently worked his way to a fifty, marking the first instance of both opening batsmen scoring 50-plus runs in the fourth innings of a Headingley Test.

The duo formed an unbeaten 156-run partnership, setting a record for the highest opening partnership in the fourth innings of a home Test for England, surpassing the previous record of 154 set by Geoffrey Boycott and Mike Brearley against Australia in 1977.

As the session progressed, India had a faint chance when Siraj induced a top edge from Duckett, which was aimed at Yashasvi Jaiswal at deep backward square leg.

Jaiswal, who had already dropped three catches, had a chance to redeem himself but unfortunately let the ball slip, allowing Duckett to continue his innings. Duckett capitalized on this opportunity, hitting a reverse sweep for a boundary, celebrating his century with enthusiasm.

Rain provided India a moment to regroup and strategize for a late comeback. Prasidh offered a glimmer of hope, taking Crawley’s wicket for 65 and then dismissing Ollie Pope cheaply.

Joe Root joined Duckett and quickly disrupted India's rhythm, keeping the scoreboard ticking with a series of boundaries.

Root executed a stunning switch hit for a six, while Shardul Thakur emerged as a beacon of hope for India, deceiving Duckett into a catch.

However, rain interrupted play again, forcing an early tea break.

In the first session, England built a solid foundation, reaching lunch at 117 without losing a wicket, needing 254 more runs for victory. Crawley and Duckett batted with poise, neutralizing the Indian attack.

Duckett was the more aggressive partner, scoring 64 off 89 balls, while Crawley anchored the innings with 42 off 93 deliveries. They established a 50-run partnership in 16.2 overs and surpassed the 100-run mark in 24.3 overs, maintaining the required run rate.

India's bowlers struggled to make breakthroughs during this session. Jasprit Bumrah bowled tightly, conceding only 21 runs in nine overs but missed a tough return catch off Crawley. Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja also kept things tight, but Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur were costly.

India began the Headingley Test strongly, dominating Day 1 with a total of 359/3. However, their momentum faltered on Day 2 as they were all out for 471, adding just 112 runs to their overnight score.

In response, England ended Day 2 at 209/3 in their first innings and eventually posted 465, trailing India by just six runs. India started their second innings under pressure, finishing Day 3 at 90/2.

On Day 4, India set a challenging target of 371 after scoring 364 in their second innings. By stumps, England had reached 21/0.

The final day saw England execute a nearly flawless chase, led by Duckett's stunning performance and key contributions from Crawley, Root, and Smith, securing a five-wicket victory and a 1-0 lead in the Test series.