The 1st Test between India and England saw England emerge victorious, as analyzed by former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar. India faced a challenging situation on Day 5, with England reaching 181/0 before rain interrupted play. England ultimately chased down the required runs, securing the win and taking the lead in the series.
Manjrekar offered insights on the shift in momentum, saying, “Are England suddenly favourites? Before the session, I had it at 70-30 in India’s favour. After this, I’d call it 50-50. Not dramatically down to 30-70, because we still have the Jasprit Bumrah factor and England’s unpredictable weather. The pitch had gone to sleep-it had nothing to do with how India bowled. Even Bumrah got nothing out of it. Maybe it was the heavy roller effect. Hopefully, after lunch, the surface livens up and India can pick up a couple of wickets. But England’s real threat is their temperament in a fourth-innings chase.”
The match, held at Headingley, Leeds, saw England complete the second-highest successful chase in Test history on English soil, chasing 371 runs while losing only five wickets. Ben Duckett was the top scorer with 149 runs. India had a unique record, becoming the first team in 148 years of Test cricket to have five centurions in a single match but still lose. Rishabh Pant achieved centuries in both innings, while Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul also scored centuries. This resulted in Gill’s first Test loss as captain.