The mango that broke a market
It is peak mango season in India. The Alphonso harvest is at its richest, the Kesar at its most fragrant.
Continuing their dominance at Headingley, England rode on their ultra-aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach to chase down the second-highest target—371—against India, winning by five wickets on Day 5 of the series opener on Tuesday.
Ben Duckett led the charge with a superb 149, ably supported by Zak Crawley (65) in a commanding 188-run opening stand. Joe Root (53*) and debutant Jamie Smith (44*) stitched together an unbroken 71-run partnership to guide the hosts across the line in the final hour of play.
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With this win, England took a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series against Shubman Gill’s side. Remarkably, this is the second time in three years that England have chased down a target of over 370 against India, following their 378-run pursuit at Edgbaston in 2022.
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Earlier in the final session, Ben Stokes (33) threatened to finish the chase quickly before Ravindra Jadeja briefly swung momentum by dismissing the England captain, adding intrigue to the final phase. However, young Smith held his nerve, ensuring that his partnership with Root sealed the result. Fittingly, Smith finished it in style, launching Jadeja for a six.
Duckett’s majestic 149 proved pivotal, as the left-hander took control after England resumed at 21/0 on the final day. Despite probing spells from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the English openers remained resolute, capitalising on occasional loose deliveries to keep the scoreboard ticking.
The opening duo’s 188-run stand reduced the target to less than half by lunch, giving England the upper hand even as India struggled for a breakthrough. Though Duckett and Crawley scored just 42 runs in the first hour, their steady approach paid dividends. Notably, the pair temporarily curbed their attacking instincts to prioritise stability.
India burned a review early on, challenging an LBW appeal against Crawley, only for replays to show the ball comfortably missing the stumps. Unfazed, the pair continued to chip away at the target. Duckett reached his 15th Test fifty in the process.
In the second hour, England upped the tempo, reaching the team’s 100 in just 24.3 overs. Even a ball change in the 27th over didn’t disrupt their rhythm, as India’s bowlers toiled without reward.
The tide briefly turned after a rain break, when Prasidh Krishna struck twice in quick succession, removing Crawley (65) and Ollie Pope (8). India clawed back further when Shardul Thakur took two wickets in two balls—dismissing Duckett and Harry Brook—just before Tea.
Duckett, who had shifted gears from caution to controlled aggression, was particularly fluent in the post-lunch session. He survived a sharp chance on 97, dropped by Yashasvi Jaiswal off Siraj, and made India pay almost immediately by bringing up his sixth Test century with a reverse-sweep off Jadeja. The knock came off just 121 balls and followed his ton against Zimbabwe in May.
Rain briefly interrupted play late in the day, but the action resumed swiftly, culminating in a memorable win for the hosts.
Brief Scores:
India 471 (Shubman Gill 147, Rishabh Pant 134, Yashasvi Jaiswal 101; Ben Stokes 4/66, Josh Tongue 4/86) & 364 (KL Rahul 137, Rishabh Pant 118; Brydon Carse 3/80, Josh Tongue 3/72) lost to
England 465 (Ollie Pope 106, Harry Brook 99; Jasprit Bumrah 5/83, Prasidh Krishna 3/128) & 373/5 (Ben Duckett 149, Zak Crawley 65; Shardul Thakur 2/51, Prasidh Krishna 2/92) by five wickets.
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