Duckett butchers Indian bowlers to win first Test for England

A superb century from Ben Duckett helped steer England to a sensational five-wicket win in the first test against India after a thrilling day five on Tuesday, the hosts reaching a target of 371 — the 10th highest successful run chase in test history. Having turned the match on its head at Headingley after India had been 430-3 in their first innings, England appeared to be cruising to a dramatic win as openers Duckett and Zak Crawley eased their side to lunch on 117-0 in their second innings. Duckett continued his imperious form with another four through the covers to reach his sixth test hundred, before Crawley fell for 65, their 188-run partnership the second highest England opening fourth-innings stand in tests. Two wickets in two balls — Duckett and Harry Brook — dragged India back into the enthralling contest and when Ben Stokes fell for 33 attempting an ambitious reverse sweep, England’s hopes of victory lay precariously in the balance.

A staggering run chase from England in Leeds to go 1-0 up against India #WTC27 | #ENGvIND https://t.co/FXxW1Hk8VO pic.twitter.com/7Zf3iUY9lr

— ICC (@ICC) June 24, 2025

India captain Shubman Gill admitted the lower order collapse in both innings did cost them dearly during the five wicket defeat against England in the opening Test T leeds on Tuesday. Despite vice-captain Rishabh Pant scoring centuries in each innings of the opening Tests and other key batters in openers KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gill himself hitting their respective tons, India failed to get to bigger totals in both the innings and also dropped crucial catches. This is the first time in history of Indian cricket that a team lost a Test after five individual hundreds being scored by its batters. India collapsed from 430/3 in the first innings to 471 losing seven wickets for 41 runs and in the second, they crumbled to 364 all-out from 333 for 4, losing six wickets for 31 runs.