Duckett leads England to classic defeat of India
- BBC News
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Bazball with brains - England chase down 371 to win first Test against India
First Rothesay Test, Headingley (day five of five)
India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101) & 364 (Rahul 137, Pant 118; Tongue 3-72)
England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Bumrah 5-83) & 373-5 (Duckett 149, Crawley 65, Root 53*)
England won by five wickets, lead five-match series 1-0
Ben Ducketts astonishing 149 led England to a target of 371 - one of the all-time great run chases - to beat India on a nerve-shredding final day of the first Test at Headingley.
Duckett played one of the finest innings by an England batter as the home side pulled off their second-highest successful pursuit, beaten only by the 378 to defeat the same opponents at Edgbaston three years ago.
In doing so, Duckett added his to the list of names etched into Headingley folklore: Ian Botham in 1981, Mark Butcher in 2001, Shai Hope in 2017 and, perhaps most famously, Ben Stokes in 2019.
Duckett shared 188 for the first wicket with Zak Crawley, who made a measured 65. Crawley was dropped on 42 and Duckett on 97.
While Duckett was at the crease, England were strolling, but the opener and Harry Brook were dismissed in successive Shardul Thakur deliveries. England, four wickets down, were still 118 adrift. India had hope.
Stokes joined Joe Root in Englands fight against the surging Indians and threatening clouds. Another 49 precious runs were added until Stokes fortune against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ended with a reverse-sweep to short third man.
Jamie Smith arrived with 69 required and possessed the composure the situation demanded. Runs ticked down, anticipation grew.
The second new ball became available when only 22 were needed - too late. England completed a five-wicket victory with 14 overs of the match remaining after scoring at a rate of 4.55.
Root was unbeaten on 53, Smith 44. The teams have eight days to regroup before the second Test begins at Edgbaston on 2 July.
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Crawley brings-up half century as England run chase rolls on
What is it about this ground? Yet again, Headingley has delivered a Test that will live long in the memory, one that fizzed and fluctuated deep into the final day.
England were 21-0 overnight, 350 runs adrift. All four results were possible. Supporters of both sides traded chants, rode the emotions and suffered the tension. Somehow, the rain only intervened on two occasions.
By the end, England had pulled off another of the run chases that have become their trademark under Stokes, vindicating the captains decision to field first despite perfect first-day batting conditions.
They completed the second-highest chase on this ground, bettered only by the 404 of Donald Bradmans Australia in 1948. This was a larger pursuit than Stokes Ashes heroics of six years ago and the 10th-highest successful fourth innings chase ever.
It was also an incredible escape for the home side after India reached 430-3 in their first innings and 333-4 in their second. India made a total of 835 runs in the match - only three other teams have made more in a Test and gone on to lose, and two of those were also beaten by Stokes England.
What a mouth-watering prospect the rest of the series looks to be, especially with the possiblity of England fast bowler Jofra Archers long-awaited return to Test cricket. More, please.
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Wow! - sublime Duckett innings puts England on course for victory
There is a strong argument to suggest Duckett is currently the leading all-format batter in the world. This was certainly the best of his six Test hundreds, the second-highest score by an England batter in a successful chase after Butchers epic 173 to beat Australia on this ground 24 years ago.
He had to come through a potent morning burst from Indias seamers. Duckett had a superb ally in Crawley, whose 111-ball half-century was his slowest in Test cricket.
When left-arm spinner Jadeja came into the attack, Duckett exploded into life with reverse-sweep after reverse-sweep. One was even nailed for six over extra cover.
The chance Crawley survived, a low caught-and-bowled to Bumrah, was difficult. Duckett should have been taken off Mohammed Siraj by Yashasvi Jaiswal at deep square leg. It was the third chance Jaiswal dropped in the match.
Duckett leapt for joy on reaching three figures, though the trouble soon followed. Crawley edged to slip off Prasidh Krishna, who bowled Ollie Pope with a nip-backer. Duckett drilled Thakur to cover and Brook needlessly walked across to his first ball and was caught down the leg side.
Jadeja began to land the ball in the rough, troubling Stokes and Root either side of the second rain delay. The captains past and present dug in, nudging the score along with good running. The umpires resisted another shower. Bumrahs last spell was seen off.
In truth, Stokes was scratchy. His demise to Jadeja for 33 inevitable. Smith provided calm support to Root, who used all of his nous and home-ground experience.
Gradually, the sixth-wicket pair made sure of the result. Smith finished with a flourish, taking Jadeja for two sixes in an over, the second of which sealed a magnificent victory.
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Root reaches 50 to put England on the verge of victory
How do India come back from this? Only one team in Test history had had more than their 430 runs for the loss of three wickets in the first innings and gone on to lose.
The visitors were wasteful in the extreme. India surrendered seven wickets for 41 runs in their first innings, six for 31 in their second and dropped a total of six catches.
Only on the final day were the rest of the attack able to provide back-up to Bumrah, but the best bowler in the world went wicketless. He was off the field when the second new ball was taken.
The tourists have said Bumrah will play a limited part in the series, possibly only three matches. He will surely use the longer break between matches now to be fresh for the second Test.
Depending on the conditions, the tourists should look to get wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav into their side for Edgbaston. India have no room for error - going 2-0 down would leave them at risk of being overwhelmed.
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Hes taken England over the line! - Smith hits two sixes to wrap up England win
England captain Ben Stokes, speaking on Test Match Special: "What a mint Test match. To come home with the win is amazing."
On his decision to bowl at the toss: "Its a good job Test cricket is played over five days. You make a decision and you dont know what is going to happen. Both teams had a lot of luck go their way.
"We did what we needed to do in the crucial moments of this game. This win here is not down to just the skill, but the attitude of this dressing room."
England opener and man of the match, Ben Duckett, on TMS: "Incredible, what a Test match. It was a huge number of runs and we have been lucky with the weather. I am lost for words."
India captain Shubman Gill on TMS: "A tough one. We had our moments on top, but England are so good and we needed to kill the game when we had the chance."
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Englands calmness key to victory - Stokes
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I couldnt be more proud of the team - Gill on England defeat
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England team are full of belief - Duckett
