England pulled off one of their greatest Test run-chases, chasing down 371 to defeat India by five wickets at Headingley and take a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Powered by a commanding 149 from Ben Duckett, and supported by strong knocks from Zak Crawley and Joe Root, the home side reached the target in just 82 overs.
England’s chase, the second-highest successful fourth-innings target in their Test history, showcased an aggressive yet composed approach. Duckett and Crawley shared an opening stand of 188, blunting the threat of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj early on before accelerating against India’s change bowlers. Crawley made 65, while Root finished unbeaten on 53, anchoring the latter stages.
Duckett was the star of the day, bringing up his sixth Test century in the second innings with a mix of calculated aggression and smart placement. His reverse sweeps and pulls were particularly effective against Ravindra Jadeja, whom he dominated throughout his innings. He survived a key chance on 97 when Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped a catch at deep square leg – one of six dropped by India in the match.
India had posted 471 in the first innings, thanks to centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). In response, England managed 465 with Ollie Pope scoring 106 and Harry Brook narrowly missing out on a hundred with 99. Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball, taking 5 for 83 in the first innings.
India’s second innings total of 364 included another century from Pant (118) and a solid 137 from KL Rahul. However, England’s bowlers – particularly Josh Tongue (3 for 72) and Brydon Carse (3 for 80) – ensured that the visitors didn’t build an insurmountable lead.
Set 371 to win, England began Day 5 at 38 for 0. Duckett and Crawley played watchfully early, but began scoring freely as the morning wore on. Duckett brought up his century in just 121 balls, pushing England into a commanding position.
India fought back briefly after lunch. Prasidh Krishna removed Crawley and Pope, and Shardul Thakur dismissed Duckett and Brook in quick succession. But any hopes of an Indian comeback were dashed by Joe Root and Jamie Smith, who added 71 runs to take England home with 14 overs to spare. Smith finished the match in style, smashing a six over mid-on.
Questions were raised over India’s tactics, particularly the underuse of Siraj and Bumrah late in the innings. Bumrah, who took five in the first innings, bowled just 13 overs in the second and none in the final phase.
This win continues England’s remarkable record at Headingley, where they have now won six straight Tests after bowling first. It also deepens India’s recent struggles in the longer format, with the team now having lost seven of their last nine Tests.
The two sides will meet again at Edgbaston for the second Test starting 2 July, where India will be aiming to bounce back and even the series.