Ben Duckett scored a magnificent century as England pulled off a stunning chase of 371 runs to beat India in the first of five Tests on Tuesday.

The opener's 149 off 170 deliveries allowed the hosts to complete an improbable victory on a rain-affected fifth day of the Headingley contest.

Duckett and Zak Crawley (66) took to the crease to start the day with England requiring 350 further runs to win, and they began on the right foot.

They put on a partnership of 188, playing their way through the whole of the morning session with supreme calm.

Crawley eventually departed off the bowling of Prasidh Krishna (2-92), before Ollie Pope (eight) was removed by the same bowler soon afterwards to dampen England's hopes.

Duckett was then dismissed by Shardul Thakur (2-51) one run off the 150 mark, while Harry Brook (zero) flicked his first ball into the hands of wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Those dismissals left the hosts 253-4. But just as India started to breathe more easily, two giants of the English game turned the tide again.

Captain Ben Stokes (33) and former skipper Joe Root (53 not out) steadied the ship for the hosts, putting them in sight of victory despite rain delays adding further tension.

Stokes fell when he top-edged a reverse sweep into the hands of Shubman Gill, but Jamie Smith (44 not out) came in alongside Root to get the hosts over the line, securing the win in style with a six.

The second Test at Edgbaston begins on July 2.

ENGLAND WIN!

Root and Smith finish off a monster chase at Headingley to put us 1-0 up in the series!!! pic.twitter.com/G0IbjA3pEC

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 24, 2025

Data Debrief: Against all odds for England

This was England's second-highest successful run chase in Test cricket, seven runs fewer than the 378 they hunted down to beat India in 2022.

England have now won 12 of their 14 matches when batting second at home under captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, with one draw (versus Australia at Old Trafford in 2023) and one defeat (also against Australia, at Lord's in 2023).

And to top things off for the hosts, they have become the first team in first-class history to win a match in which they had conceded five centuries to the other team. 

It was consistent hitting that got the job done for England, as they only had three single-figure scores in the match, compared to 11 for the tourists.