The match at Headingley turned dramatically when India found themselves at a commanding 430-3 in their first innings. On Tuesday, England appeared poised for a thrilling victory as the openers made a solid start.
Duckett and Zak Crawley reached lunch at 117-0 in their second innings, setting a firm foundation for their chase. Duckett’s exceptional form continued as he struck yet another boundary to complete his sixth Test hundred. However, India clawed back into the contest as two wickets fell in quick succession, including Duckett and Harry Brook. When Ben Stokes fell for 33 after an ambitious reverse sweep, the pressure mounted on England.
Joe Root’s composed unbeaten 53 eased the tension among the home crowd. Together with Jamie Smith, who hit a six to clinch the win, they brought England to an impressive victory. Meanwhile, India, despite scoring five centuries in the match, found themselves on the losing side in this opener of the five-Test series.
“It was an incredible match, with a huge number of runs, and we were fortunate with the weather,” Duckett remarked. “I’m somewhat lost for words.
We knew that if we focused and batted the overs, we would secure the win. There were moments when I considered stepping up the intensity, but the breaks allowed us to remain composed.”
Starting day five at 21-0, England’s openers Crawley and Duckett displayed their famed aggressive style, though they took 99 balls to reach a 50 partnership, the longest it had taken them to accomplish this as a pair.
Concerns arose when first-innings centurion Ollie Pope quickly followed Crawley back to the pavilion, falling victim to Prasidh Krishna. Yet, Duckett continued to pile on the runs until he fell to Shardul Thakur for 149, marking the second-highest score by an English opener in a Test fourth-innings.
Duckett’s contribution was pivotal in such a high-pressure scenario; it had been 15 years since an England opener last scored a hundred in the fourth innings, the last being Alastair Cook in 2010.
England secured a thrilling victory over India in a gripping finish to the first Test, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. With an outstanding century from Ben Duckett, England achieved the 10th highest successful run chase in Test history, successfully chasing down a target of 371.
The match at Headingley saw a dramatic turn of events when India appeared strong at 430-3 in their first innings. As the match progressed, England positioned themselves for an exciting win, with the openers putting forth a solid performance.
Duckett and Zak Crawley went into lunch at 117-0 in their second innings, laying a strong foundation for their chase. Duckett continued his remarkable form, hitting yet another boundary to complete his sixth Test hundred. However, India clawed back into contention as England lost two wickets in quick succession, including Duckett and Harry Brook. The situation grew tenser when Ben Stokes fell for 33 after an ambitious reverse sweep, putting pressure on England.
Joe Root’s composed unbeaten 53 brought some relief to the anxious home crowd. Along with Jamie Smith, who hit a six to seal the victory, they led England to a remarkable win. Despite having five centuries in their innings, India found themselves on the losing side in this first Test of the five-match series.
“It was an incredible match, with so many runs scored, and we were lucky with the weather,” Duckett reflected. “I’m a bit lost for words. We knew if we kept our focus and batted through the overs, we would come out on top. There were times I thought about picking up the pace, but the breaks helped us stay calm.”
Starting day five at 21-0, England’s openers Crawley and Duckett demonstrated their aggressive style, though it took them 99 balls to form a 50 partnership, the longest they had taken together. Concerns arose when first-innings centurion Ollie Pope quickly followed Crawley back to the dressing room, falling to Prasidh Krishna. However, Duckett continued to accumulate runs until he fell to Shardul Thakur for 149, making it the second-highest score by an English opener in a Test fourth innings.
Duckett’s performance was crucial in such a high-pressure scenario; it had been 15 years since an England opener had scored a hundred in the fourth innings, the last being Alastair Cook in 2010.
