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June 25, 2025

Ben Duckett shines as England clinch rollercoaster Test win over India

Ben Duckett shines as England clinch rollercoaster Test win over India
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England secured a sensational five-wicket victory over India in the first Test at Headingley, delivering a thrilling finale as opener Ben Duckett smashed a commanding 149, guiding his side to chase down 371 on day five.

Duckett’s sixth Test hundred scored off just 170 balls formed the backbone of a remarkable 188-run opening partnership with Zak Crawley (65). With the pair easing England into the game early, the hosts moved past 117 without loss by lunch, cementing the second-highest opening stand in a fourth-innings chase for England.

Despite progress being briefly halted by Shardul Thakur (who removed Duckett and Harry Brook in quick succession), Duckett’s composure at Headingley remained unshaken.

Following the middle-order wobble, Joe Root (53*) and Jamie Smith (44*) steadied England’s nerves. They navigated through tricky spells, before Smith sealed it with a six to secure one of the most memorable chases in Headingley history.

Named Player of the Match, Duckett reflected on his approach when talking to Reuters: “We didn’t overthink things… we only had to look at the scoreboard to know that if we batted the overs, we would win the game.”

England recorded their second-highest ever fourth-innings chase and the 10th-highest in Test history. On the other hand, India became the first-ever side to hit five Test centuries in a match and still lose, thanks to England’s lower-order resilience.

Despite India’s early dominance—stacking centuries from five batters—they suffered a lower-order collapse in both innings, falling short of victory.

England open the series 1–0 up, vindicating captain Ben Stokes’ bold decision to bat last—a choice that echoed past Headingley heroics. Now attention turns to the second Test, where momentum and the ‘Bazball with brains’ style will be key.


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