Incredible England underline fierce belief to win historic Headingley run chase
Dropped catches and collapses thwart India but England thoroughly deserved such a stunning victory thanks to their attacking spirit and indefatigable belief
Incredible England underline fierce belief to win historic Headingley run chase
Dropped catches and collapses thwart India but England thoroughly deserved such a stunning victory thanks to their attacking spirit and indefatigable belief
Joe Root and Jamie Smith’s partnership late on day Five saw England over the line after a tremendous Test match for the ages at Headingley
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England captain Ben Stokes speaking on BBC Test Match Special said: "What a mint Test match. To get to day five and come home with the win is amazing and what a game to be a part of.
"There was skill from both teams, runs galore and to finish it off, a great start to the series. We know how fast this ground is and it was an awesome game of cricket from India as well."
While India captain Shubman Gill added: "A brilliant Test match, we had our chances in the match but a few dropped catches and out lower order didn't contribute as much as we'd like to but really proud of our effort.”
England’s inspirational captain Ben Stokes
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And lo it came to pass that on the Fifth Day, Ben Stokes side won a thrilling run chase, smashing all sorts of records in the process.
Hands up who’s been transfixed watching the First Test between England and India at Headingley. Despite the preponderance of short form cricket, the five day game has, once again, proved to be in hearteningly rude health.
The fact is the home side achieved a stunning victory for the ages, one that captivated all cricket, and sports lovers in general.
Opener Ben Duckett’s 149 provided a platform as England chased down 371 to ease home in 82 overs to land a sixth consecutive win in Leeds, all while bowling first, to take a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Joe Root and Duckett’s fellow opener Zak Crawley got fifties in the chase as India's six dropped catches in the match proved costly, as England completed a five-wicket victory, with 14 overs of the match remaining, after scoring at a rate of 4.55, in a superbly composed run chase ended when Jamie Smith finished with a six.
The win also meant that England have become the first team in first-class history to win a match in which they have conceded five centuries to the other team.
Joe Root and Ben Stokes
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How India lost
India, led by the relatively inexperienced Shubman Gill - certainly compared to the riches of leadership that came before him in Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and Sachin Tendulkar - appeared to be reactive, not proactive at times.
Of course, missing Kohli’s energy and expertise in the field- even if the likeable Mohammed Siraj did his best to channel the now retired legend’s warrior-like competitiveness - the unfortunate Gill wasn’t helped by dropped catches, and collapses, in a chastening start to the series, and his captaincy against England.
Gill speaking on BBC Test Match Special explained after the match: "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."
What was also apparent was that India require a seam bowling all rounder in England, a lower order bowler who can bat, thereby providing vital runs down the order.
Because at 430-3 on Day One India looked set. Yet a lower-order 7-41 collapse, amplified by 6-41 in the second innings, left the visitors short, amid a maelstrom that saw sloppy fielding after the tail was blown away.
What was also surprising was the normally wily Ravindra Jadeja - a fine left-arm spinner with more than 300 Test wickets at a tad more than 24 no less - did not realise for nearly four hours that bowling wider, into the rough, would be more effective during England’s fourth innings.
All of which, allied with Jasprit Bumrah’s surprising lack of England wickets - when most observers thought that he would play a big part on Day Five, led to defeat.
Bumrah, who was exceptional in Australia, taking 32 wickets in the series, was strangely underwhelming during England’s run chase after his first-innings five-for, going wicketless.
India now have a record of three wins, seven losses and one draw in Tests since Gautam Gambhir took over in July 2024.
India captain Shubman Gill during his side’s defeat in the first Test at Headingley
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I was at Headingley on Day Three to watch Bumrah take a superb 5-83 in the first innings. Making Tuesday’s TV viewing all the more strange to note how comfortably the 31-year-old world class fast bowler had been seen off by Duckett and Crawley.
The pair reaching a powerful 188 in 42.2 overs, as they became the eighth duo to pass 2,000 runs as England opening partnership. The first time an English pair has surpassed this milestone since Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss. They now currently average 44 per partnership.
Crawley’s steady 62 off 126 balls was also worthy of mention. Only Joe Root (122 balls vs New Zealand, Wellington 2023) and Ben Foakes (116 balls vs South Africa, Manchester 2022) have scored slower half-centuries for England in the 'Bazball' era than Crawley's - a very good thing in the circumstances.)
No wonder England captain Stokes said of the Crawley-Duckett stand: "To get that far none down was pretty important for us. Zak was able to stay composed, sensing Ducky was getting off to a flier.”
All the while it was hard to reconcile the fact that India lost this match having scored a total of 835 runs. Only three times in Test history has a team made more runs in a Test and lost.
How England won
While India could rightly profess they failed to capitalise on chances when they had England on the ropes, it would also be fair to state that, conversely, at other times, when required, they decisively put their visitors to the sword with a killer instinct.
It may have been a joke when captain Stokes mimed eating - a reference to rabbit pie - when Josh Tongue feasted on the tail across two innings, no such meals were on the menu for India. Tongue taking six of his seven match wickets against lower order batters.
It was noticeable after the match that Gill spoke of declaring at around 425 when India’s lower order scored a mere 25 runs in their second innings - which effectively left them more than 50 runs short.
As Stokes said after the win: “It was an awesome Test match to go down to the last hour on day five…”
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Sublime Duckett king of the reverse sweeps
Sublime Duckett king of the reverse sweeps
What was evident from the end of the first day was there was genuine belief from Stokes and his England team that they could chase down 371 on a fifth day pitch to beat an India side - when facing the world class Bumrah - was extremely telling.
England’s victory was the tenth highest successful run chase in Test history, while only the third Test match out of more than 2,500 across more than 150 years, in which all four innings have been 350 or more.
For England to achieve such a feat, was in no little part thanks to the pugnacious Duckett, fast-earning himself a place where the great batters live. Fuelled by the utter belief in his talents from his captain, his teammates and his coach.
When Duckett brought up the seventh century of the Test match, only once before has a Test in England featured seven centuries - England vs Australia at Trent Bridge back in 1938.
So, it was no real surprise when Duckett was named player of the match for his first-innings 62 and, more importantly, his outstanding 149 during England’s run chase. The second highest score by an England opener in the fourth innings of a Test. (Behind ‘Iron’ Mike Atherton's 185 not out in 1995 in Jo’burg, facing the mighty Allan Donald.)
Incidentally, in displaying such character and quality Duckett now averages 44.98 as a Test opener, edging ahead of Sir Alastair Cook's 44.86 average as an opener.
What was also noticeable was Duckett’s highly-proficient reverse-sweep. Which boosted run scoring, as, quite simply, the Indian’s did not know which field to set.
If you looked at Duckett’s wagon-wheel, you would have not been chided if you thought his runs through midwicket came from cuts. Not reverse sweeps. Such a tactic really is game changing if you get it right. Which Duckett most certainly did.
England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley floor India’s Mohammed Siraj
In fact, since 2006 there have only been nine occasions of a batter reverse sweeping a spinner for six in Test cricket. Duckett has now done it twice, tellingly both times off Jadeja.
It was also instructive to note that the impish Rishabh Pant gave Duckett a little touch on the arm to say well done, after one such shot. No wonder Stokes labelled Duckett’s performances as “unbelievable.”
Modest Duckett speaking on BBC Test Match Special about England's win said: "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.”
On his opening partnership with Crawley, Duckett added: "I had to do my job. Zak played beautifully and we knew we had to set the tone up. The boys in the middle order were calm as anything as well.”
As an aside, please do spare a thought for Pant, one of my favourite players, who missed out on POTM despite hitting a thrilling pair of tons for India.
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There’s Something About Headingely
Atmospheric Headingley: Day Three. CREDIT:
There’s Something About Headingely
There really is something about Headingely providing the perfect stage for thrilling Test match cricket.
The win made it five of the last seven Headingley Tests being won by a team chasing at least 250 in the fourth innings.
Of course, all great teams have a raft of great players who can step up to the mark.
Not least Joe Root with another faultless knock taking them over the line to finish unbeaten on 53. With the moniker Root 66 being mooted after reaching his 66th Test half century in the process.
While Harry Brook became the fifth batter - and first Englishman - to make 99 and 0 in a Test.
How I felt for him hooking wildly on 99 on the day I attended Headingely with a mate.
Sitting in the Howard Stand - with one eye on the rapscallions on the Western Terrace, I can’t recall seeing such an agonised reaction to losing your wicket in the flesh in a Test match. It was almost endearing.
However, as a delighted Stokes said when speaking at the post-match presentation:"We've got some good memories here over the last few years. Awesome Test match to be part of, going to the last hour of day give and chasing a big total."
England have now won 12 of their 14 matches chasing at home under Stokes and McCullum, with one draw (vs Australia, Old Trafford 2023) and one defeat (vs Australia, Lord's 2023). Both we could and should have won.
Let’s save Australia for another day shall we and bask in the afterglow of an outstanding victory against a strong India side, who could, and should perhaps have won the game.
Indeed, 100 miles to the north of Headingley, despite claiming his first, first-class wicket in 1,501 days for Sussex this week, Joffra Archer still needs to be managed very carefully.
He needs far more overs in his legs with Sussex than the 18 he bowled against Durham in their first innings (18-8-32-1)- to get really fit with the Ashes coming up.
Ah, blast, and there we were thinking we nearly got away without mentioning The Ashes…
Further good news> And bad news for India (and Australia) Jofra Archer is on his way back…
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Reaction
Sir Alistair Cook on second innings effort from openers: “The word that comes to mind for me is control. The quality of the batsmanship was superb. Duckett will get the credit but Crawley's role in that opening partnership as well was brilliant.”
Michael Vaughan: “We've witnessed something special on the pressure day, the final day. You need something remarkable to get over the line in a chase like that and Ben Duckett produced that.”
Stats (courtesy of the BBC)
In the current top eight of highest match totals to lose are as follows: Pakistan's 847 in Rawalpindi in 2022, New Zealand's 837 at Trent Bridge in the same year and Pakistan's 776 at Multan last year, all beaten by the Bazballers. They are the only three entries in the top eight since 1948.
England's highest successful run chases in Test cricket:
378-3 vs India, Edgbaston 2022
373-5 vs India, Headingley 2025
362-9 vs Australia, Headingley 2019
332-7 vs Australia, Melbourne 1928
Highest targets chased at Headingley:
404 by Australia vs England, 1948
359 by England vs Australia, 2019
322 by West Indies vs England, 2017
315 by England vs Australia, 2001
Highest targets chased by England against India:
378, Edgbaston 2022
208, Delhi 1972
England's highest fourth innings opening partnerships:
203 - Atherton & Gooch vs Australia, 1991
185 - Boycott & Brearley vs Pakistan, 1978
161* - Boycott & Edrich vs Australia, 1971
Most fifty-plus scores in the fourth innings:
13 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle & Graeme Smith
12 - Joe Root* & Sunil Gavaskar
Picturesque Headingley this week. CREDIT: laythy29