What happened on Day 5 of England vs India, 1st Test? All you need to know

On day five of the Leeds Test, England needed 350 runs to win, having scored 21/0 in six overs by stumps on day four. India, on the other hand, needed 10 wickets to register a victory.

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But overnight batters Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put on a show, building a 188-run opening stand. Crawley scored 65 off 146 before he was dismissed by Prasidh Krishna. Krishna struck again soon after, removing Ollie Pope—England's centurion from the first innings—for just eight runs.

Joe Root then joined Duckett and added 47 runs for the third wicket. Duckett reached his sixth Test century but missed out on 150, falling to Shardul Thakur for 149. On the very next ball, Thakur struck again, dismissing Harry Brook for a golden duck. At that point, India had an opening to swing the momentum in their favour.

However, skipper Ben Stokes came in and, along with Root, added a steady 49 runs for the fifth wicket. Ravindra Jadeja eventually dismissed Stokes for 33 off 51 balls.

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England now lead the five-match Test series 1-0 

Still needing 69 runs with five wickets in hand, a couple of quick wickets could have changed the game. But England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith held his nerve. He played with confidence and scored an unbeaten 44 off 55 balls. Root stayed unbeaten on 53 off 84, and the pair guided England home. They completed the chase in 82 overs, with five wickets in hand.

India’s bowlers, especially Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, looked ineffective during the unbeaten 71-run stand for the sixth wicket and finished the innings wicketless. This memorable win became England’s second-highest successful run chase in their Test history.

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Ben Duckett was named Player of the Match for scoring 62 in the first innings and 149 in the second. While speaking at the post-match presentation, he said: “To go into day 5, finishing like we did was incredible. Wanted to get through last evening without losing wickets. It was clear this morning - if we batted through, we'd get home.”

With this win, England now lead the five-match Test series 1-0. The second Test is scheduled to begin in Birmingham on July 2, 2025.

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