Ben Duckett’s superb 149 set up the chase as England win by 5 wickets
England pulled off a remarkable five-wicket victory over India in the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday, setting a new record in the process.
Despite conceding five individual centuries — something no team had previously overcome in over 60,000 first-class matches — England chased down a formidable target of 371, finishing on 373/5. Jamie Smith sealed the win in style with a six, after Ben Duckett’s superb 149 laid the foundation. Joe Root remained unbeaten on 53 at his home ground, giving England a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
India had dominated large parts of the match, amassing a massive 835 runs across both innings. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant made centuries in both innings (134 and 118), becoming only the second keeper in Test history to achieve the feat.
Yet despite their batting heroics, India collapsed twice — losing 7 for 41 in the first innings and 6 for 31 in the second — collapses that ultimately cost them the match. Only three times in Test history has a team scored more in a match and still ended up on the losing side.
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