ISLAMABAD (PEN) : India suffered a historic defeat in the first Test against England at Headingley, becoming the first team in Test history to lose a match despite five individual centuries. The visitors were outplayed in a thrilling contest that saw England chase 371 for victory—marking the 10th highest successful run chase in red-ball cricket .
Five Tons, But No Win
India’s batting firepower was on full display:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant all reached three figures in the first innings.
Pant struck again in the second innings, supported by *KL Rahul* ([talksport.com][1]).
Yet, a dismal drop in form by the lower order and pivotal fielding lapses undercut their advantage. From 430‑3 in their first innings, India collapsed, losing the last seven wickets for just 41 runs .
England’s Dramatic Finish
England’s chase was anchored by a brilliant *149 from opener Ben Duckett*, his sixth Test century, and a 188‑run opening stand with Zak Crawley—England’s second‑largest fourth‑innings partnership ([reuters.com][2]).
Joe Root’s unbeaten 53 and a match-sealing six from Jamie Smith ultimately secured a five-wicket triumph .
Records Broken & Lessons Learned
* The combined total of *1,673 runs* between both teams marks the highest aggregate in an India‑England Test .
* India now hold the dubious record for *most centuries scored in a losing Test*, surpassing Australia’s four-century haul in Melbourne, 1928 ([reuters.com][2]).
India captain *Shubman Gill* acknowledged missed opportunities:
“We had our chances. A few dropped catches and the lower order not contributing as much as we would like (cost us) but I am proud. Our young team is learning.”
> “It just didn’t go our way in this match. We have to rectify (the batting collapses) in the upcoming matches.”
What’s Next?
England’s spectacular chase gives them an early 1–0 advantage in the five-match series, setting the tone ahead of the Ashes later this summer . India, meanwhile, must regroup and address vulnerabilities in their tail-end batting and fielding ahead of the next Test.
