Leeds, June 25 — Powered by Ben Duckett’s scintillating 149, supported by half-centuries from Zak Crawley (65) and Joe Root (unbeaten 53), England chased down a challenging target to defeat India by five wickets on the final day of the first Test at Headingley. With this win, England has taken a 1-0 lead in the series.
Resuming the day at 21 without loss, the English openers displayed resilience against the Indian bowling attack. By lunch, England had scored 117 runs without losing a wicket, with hopes of a successful chase growing steadily.
Post-lunch, Prasidh Krishna gave India a breakthrough by dismissing Zak Crawley for 65. He then clean-bowled Ollie Pope for 8, giving India its second wicket. Soon after, Shardul Thakur struck twice in a single over, removing centurion Ben Duckett for a brilliant 149 (170 balls, 21 fours, 1 six), and Harry Brook for a duck.
Despite these quick blows, England stayed on course. By tea, they had reached 269/4, with Joe Root and Ben Stokes anchoring the innings. After the interval, Ravindra Jadeja removed Stokes for 33, giving India a glimmer of hope. But debutant Jamie Smith held his nerve, scoring 44* and stitching an unbeaten partnership with Root, who remained not out on 53.
England reached the target of 373 in 82 overs, clinching the match by five wickets.
For India, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur took two wickets each, while Jadeja picked up one. However, India’s defeat was largely attributed to poor fielding, as multiple dropped catches proved costly.
In the first innings, India had posted 471 runs thanks to centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal, captain Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant. England replied strongly with 465, trailing by just 7 runs. India’s second-innings score of 364 set England a target of 358, which they chased down convincingly on the final day.
The second Test of the series will now carry added importance for India as they look to bounce back and level the series.
