England Chase Down Record 371 to Beat India in Thrilling 1st Test at Leeds
England Pull Off Historic Run Chase at Headingley
What a match at Headingley! England have stunned India with a five-wicket victory after chasing down an eye-popping 371-run target in the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. This win didn’t come easy—England had to navigate some of the best centuries ever witnessed from an Indian lineup, only to flip the script in the final innings and snatch a famous win.
India made history themselves by becoming the first Test team to feature five different centurions in a single match. Shubman Gill, making his debut as captain, couldn’t have asked for more from his batters. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul both reached three figures, while Gill chipped in with a patient hundred of his own. Rishabh Pant, though, stole the headlines for India—blasting centuries in both innings, something only Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower has done before as a wicketkeeper in England. Even with these performances, India ended up on the losing side, a twist nobody saw coming halfway through the match.
Unstoppable England Batting on Final Day
Chasing 371 in the fourth innings is no Sunday stroll. But Ben Duckett never looked fazed. He hammered 149 runs on the last day, punishing India’s bowlers with crisp timing and fearless intent. Zak Crawley added 65 at the top to keep the required rate in check, and when Duckett finally departed, England were in the driver’s seat.
It wasn’t over—India’s bowlers kept things tense, especially after a mini-collapse in England’s middle order. But Joe Root showed ice-cool temperament, finishing unbeaten on 53 as he guided the lower order through a tricky final spell. Jamie Smith, relatively new to the international scene, backed Root with some sharp shot-making for 44 not out. Their partnership ensured England reached 372 for five, sealing the win and the England vs India head-to-head for the series opener.
For Indian fans, the pain was amplified by memories of their late collapse in the second innings. After yet another hundred from Pant and strong starts from the top order, India looked poised to shut England out of the contest. Instead, a sudden collapse—from 301 for 5 to 364 all out—left the hosts with a target that proved just within reach.
This result puts England 1-0 up in the series. For Shubman Gill, his first Test as captain will be hard to forget—but for reasons he'd rather not dwell on. The action heads to the second Test starting July 2, with India left to regroup after one of the most dramatic openers in recent memory.