England opener Ben Duckett praised both teams for producing a high-quality contest as he reflected on his match-winning 149 that propelled England to a historic five-wicket win over India in the first Test at Headingley. Duckett’s fluent knock earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award and helped England chase down a formidable target of 371—their highest successful run-chase against India and one of the finest in Test history.
“It was just an incredible game, and India were superb,” Duckett said after the match. “To go into Day 5 and finish like we did was incredible. It was clear this morning—if we batted through, we’d get home.”
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England began the final day at 21/0, still requiring 350 runs, and Duckett anchored the innings with remarkable control and poise. He formed a monumental 188-run opening partnership with Zak Crawley that laid the foundation for the chase. Later, a steady 47-run stand with Joe Root helped weather a brief Indian resurgence after the dismissal of captain Ben Stokes.
Duckett described the chase as a test of patience, maturity, and belief. “We’ve shown maturity throughout the day and shown how much it means to win. At times, we were behind in this game,” he noted, acknowledging the see-saw nature of the contest.
The England opener was quick to credit his teammates, particularly the bowlers, whose efforts in dismissing India’s lower order for minimal damage proved crucial. “Massive credit to our bowlers who got the tail out cheaply. Otherwise, you’d add 50-60 more to the target, and that would’ve been a different game,” Duckett explained.
Facing India’s world-class pace attack, especially Jasprit Bumrah, was among the toughest challenges of the match, Duckett admitted. “Bumrah’s world-class. He was superb in the first innings. To limit his impact was massive. We played him very well today,” he added. Bumrah, who took five wickets in the first innings, went wicketless in the second, conceding 57 runs in 19 overs.
Duckett also spoke about his tactical approach, particularly against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Known for his proficiency with the sweep and reverse sweep, Duckett used those strokes to rotate strike and find boundaries. “It’s tough to play him with a straight bat. The reverse sweep is something I go to a lot—sometimes to get to the other end, sometimes to score,” he said.
The match had a tense moment when England lost Ben Stokes during the final session, offering India a potential opening. Duckett acknowledged that phase as pivotal. “At the start of the last partnership, it could’ve gone the other way had they gotten a wicket. But Root being calm kept us calm. Jamie Smith taking us home at the end was amazing.”
With the win, England take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series and gain significant momentum heading into the second Test.
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