IND vs ENG Test: Duckett’s Dazzling 149 Leads England to Record Chase as Hosts Take 1-0 Lead Over India at Headingley

Ben Duckett produced a sublime 149 to headline a record fourth-innings chase at Headingley, powering England to a five-wicket victory over India in the opening Test of the five-match series. England successfully hunted down the target of 371—finishing at 373/5 in just 82 overs—and now hold a 1-0 lead.

Starting the final day on 21 without loss, England faced a stiff challenge but exhibited calm and control throughout the day. Zak Crawley and Duckett blunted India’s bowling in the morning session, guiding the hosts to 117/0 by lunch. Duckett led the charge with aggression, reaching 64 by the break, while Crawley offered steady support.

The duo’s 156-run opening stand became the highest fourth-innings opening partnership for England in a home Test, surpassing the 154-run mark set by Geoffrey Boycott and Mike Brearley in 1977. Crawley reached his half-century with a well-paced 65 off 126 before falling to Prasidh Krishna shortly after rain delayed play. Prasidh then removed Ollie Pope for 8 in the same spell, briefly reigniting India’s hopes.

India’s chance to wrest back momentum came when Mohammed Siraj induced a top edge from Duckett on 97. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal—already guilty of three drops—missed another opportunity at deep backward square leg. Duckett capitalized on the reprieve, reverse-sweeping his way to a hundred and celebrating with visible emotion under the cloudy Leeds sky.

India’s fielding woes and inconsistent bowling only widened England’s advantage. Shardul Thakur offered a late spark, dismissing Duckett for 149 and Harry Brook for a golden duck in successive deliveries. But rain interrupted play again, halting India’s progress and forcing an early tea.

When play resumed, England were 302/5 with Root and debutant Jamie Smith at the crease. The pair stitched together an unbroken 71-run partnership to carry England home. Root played a classy innings, scoring 53 off 84 balls with six boundaries, while Smith struck a fluent 44* off 55, finishing the match in style with a towering six off Ravindra Jadeja.

India, despite setting a formidable target, saw their bowling unit struggle in key moments. Jadeja was economical but only managed one wicket for 104 runs. Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna took two wickets each but proved expensive, conceding 51 and 92 runs respectively. Bumrah and Siraj failed to make any real breakthroughs on the final day.

What made the loss more remarkable was India’s historic batting performance. They became the first team in Test history to have five individual centuries in a match and still end up losing. Centuries came from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), Shubman Gill (147), KL Rahul (137), and Rishabh Pant, who scored tons in both innings (134 and 118). This surpassed Australia’s 1928/29 record of four centuries in a losing effort.

The match began with India dominating Day 1, reaching 359/3. However, they were restricted to 471 on Day 2. England responded strongly, posting 465 in their first innings, thanks to Duckett and Root’s contributions. India managed 364 in their second innings, setting a challenging target. England, in turn, began Day 5 needing 350 more runs—and achieved it with poise and flair.

With the historic win, England not only executed their highest successful run chase at Headingley but also gained early momentum in the series. The second Test promises to be a thrilling continuation, with India left to reflect on missed chances and England brimming with confidence.

Brief scores:

• India 471 & 364 (KL Rahul 137, Rishabh Pant 118; Josh Tongue 3/72)
• England 373/5 (Ben Duckett 149, Zak Crawley 65; Shardul Thakur 2/51)
• England won by 5 wickets and lead the series 1-0