England has secured a remarkable victory against India in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, chasing down a target of 371 with five wickets to spare. The win, achieved on the fifth day of the match, was largely fueled by an extraordinary batting display from Ben Duckett, whose aggressive and composed innings of 149 laid the foundation for England's successful chase.

Resuming the day at 21 for no loss, England needed 350 more runs to win, while India required 10 wickets. The opening partnership between Duckett and Zak Crawley set the tone for the day, as they added 96 runs in the morning session to reach 117 without loss by lunch. Duckett, in particular, was in sublime form, dictating terms to the Indian bowlers with his positive strokeplay.

Duckett reached his sixth Test century off 121 balls, including 14 boundaries. He was given a reprieve on 98 when Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped a mishit pull at deep backward square leg off Mohammed Siraj.

The left-handed Duckett continued to attack, reverse-sweeping Ravindra Jadeja for a four to bring up England's 250. He then executed an even more audacious reverse sweep for a six over extra cover.

The partnership was eventually broken when Zak Crawley was dismissed for 65, ending a 188-run opening stand. Prasidh Krishna also bowled Ollie Pope on 8 with a delivery that jagged back in. Despite these wickets, Duckett remained unfazed, continuing to play his natural game and keeping England ahead.

Duckett's magnificent innings came to an end when he was dismissed by Shardul Thakur for 149, an innings studded with 21 fours and one six. Thakur then compounded India's woes by dismissing Harry Brook off the very next ball, briefly opening up the match. However, Joe Root and Ben Stokes steadied the ship, ensuring England reached tea at 269 for 4, needing just 102 more runs in the final session.

In the final session, England kept their composure and cautiously approached the target. Ravindra Jadeja removed Ben Stokes for 32, but Joe Root and Jamie Smith forged an unbroken 71-run partnership for the sixth wicket, guiding England to a five-wicket victory. Joe Root remained unbeaten on 53, while Jamie Smith contributed a valuable 44 not out.

India's bowling attack appeared lackluster. Jasprit Bumrah bowled a probing first spell, but lacked support from the other end. Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur bowled too many boundary balls, relieving the pressure on England's batsmen. The decision not to play a spinner of Kuldeep Yadav's caliber also proved costly for India.

Duckett's performance was particularly noteworthy as he took on India's bowling attack with an aggressive approach. He played with remarkable hand-eye coordination, often rooted to his crease, playing forward or square of the wicket depending on the length of the delivery. He played late, giving himself time to punish the bowlers, even the best of them, like Bumrah.