Ben Duckett’s Dazzling Reverse Sweep Steals Show: England’s Bazball Star Shines Bright in India’s Leeds Test Defeat
(By Devansh Desai)
England delivered a powerful statement at Headingley, Leeds, as they pulled off a record-breaking chase to beat India by five wickets in the first Test of the five-match series. Riding on the Bazball approach, the home team chased down 371 in the fourth innings securing a 1-0 lead and exposing early vulnerabilities in India’s transitional lineup led by Shubman Gill.
Following the retirements of seasoned campaigners Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, much of the spotlight was on India’s new-look batting unit. However, the more glaring absence on Day 5 turned out to be a seasoned spin option like Ravichandran Ashwin. Ravindra Jadeja struggled to extract much from the surface and England capitalized.
While Jadeja found rhythm late in the day, it was too little, too late. England’s pursuit also marked the first time a team with five individual centuries ended up on the losing side a rare and telling statistic in Test cricket.
India’s bowling lacked bite beyond Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings but couldn’t replicate that form in the second. The supporting pace trio Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur were inconsistent, failing to apply sustained pressure. With Bumrah unlikely to feature in all five Tests, concerns are rising about whether India’s bench featuring Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana can step up.
England dominated much of Day 5 with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett laying a 188-run foundation. At one stage, India risked a humiliating ten-wicket defeat. A brief fightback came when Prasidh Krishna removed Crawley (65) and Ollie Pope (0) in quick succession. Duckett, however, remained solid until he fell for 149, triggering hopes of an Indian comeback.
Shardul Thakur injected fresh energy by dismissing Duckett and Harry Brook on consecutive deliveries. With pressure mounting, rain interrupted play, and umpires called for an early Tea break. England needed 102 runs; India needed six wickets.
Post-Tea, England captain Ben Stokes and veteran Joe Root began positively. Jadeja dismissed Stokes (33), briefly reviving Indian hopes. But Root, composed under pressure, took control alongside debutant Jamie Smith. The duo saw England home, remaining unbeaten on 53 and 44, respectively.
India’s Lower-Order and Fielding Woes Cost Them Dear
India’s defeat wasn’t just about ineffective bowling. Their fragile lower-order and poor fielding compounded the damage. In the first innings, India collapsed from 430/3 to 471 all out, losing seven wickets for just 41 runs. The pattern repeated in the second innings, as the team tumbled from 333/4 to 364 all out, setting a chaseable 471-run target.
Debutant Sai Sudharsan struggled, scoring only 30 runs across both innings, falling victim to Stokes’ leg-side trap on both occasions. Karun Nair, making his return after eight years, also failed to impress with scores of 0 and 20.
India’s fielding let them down further. A total of seven catches were dropped, four of which came from Yashasvi Jaiswal, including a crucial miss of Duckett in the second innings. These lapses proved costly in such a tight contest.
Amid the setbacks, Rishabh Pant emerged as a bright spot. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed centuries in both innings, becoming only the second in Test history to achieve this rare feat. KL Rahul also marked a return to form with his first Test century in 18 months.
Despite individual brilliance, collective inconsistencies cost India the Test. As England ride high on their Bazball momentum, India’s team management has pressing concerns to address before the second Test.