Hollywood finish as England pull off miracle run chase

As a team, India were a shambles. No question that as a collection of individuals they are a talented crop despite recent retirements but they need time to click. They became the first side in Test history to score five hundreds and still lose. They collapsed twice, losing seven for 41 in the first innings when 600 seemed certain and six for 31 on the fourth day when they should have posted a 400-plus target that would have forced the Bazballers to contemplate the unpalatable; batting for a draw.

India made 11 single-figure scores in the match, England just four. Their fielders failed to back up the bowling with six crucial catches dropped, and some lackadaisical fielding that Virat Kohli would not have stood for. They missed his snarling in the field. Bumrah was a one-man band with the ball taking five for 140 in the match while his three other seamers took nine for 489. Everyone knew the game was up and the Western Terrace started partying when Bumrah did not take the second new ball with 22 needed; India opting to save his legs.

Tickets for day five were just £20 for adults, £5 for children bunking off school, and they bought a terrific day of drama. It may not have the Ashes sheen of 1981 or Stokes in 2019 but Duckett’s man-of-the-match innings deserves its place in Headingley’s history of heroic deeds.

From 170 balls he struck 21 fours to clock up a sixth Test hundred, that included an imperious six with a reverse sweep off Jadeja. His stand for the first wicket with Zak Crawley took them beyond 2,000 runs as an opening pair made at an unprecedented 5.03 an over. They really do have a special bond.

Crawley’s slowest Test fifty was a sign he too has shed some of his flakiness and knuckled down for this era-defining run of matches. He was content to let his partner dominate while he dropped anchor. His 65 ended caught at slip off Prasidh Krishna and when Ollie Pope inside edged on to his stumps two overs later, India had a way back in with 165 still required.

Duckett was the key man. He had signalled intent Monday night when he left the first two balls of an innings for the first time and was watchful against Bumrah, waiting for Krishna to come on and punishing him in particular before finding his range with his sweep against Jadeja.

On 97 he offered a catch to deep square leg but Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped his third chance of the match and bowler Mohammed Siraj cursed the heavens. Four balls later he hammered a sweep to bring up his hundred.

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After a short shower, the ball started to swing more. England kept out Bumrah and relaxed when Shardul Thakur, the worst player in the match, ran in from the Kirkstall Lane End. Duckett drove a half-volley to cover, and first ball Harry Brook flicked a leg-side catch to the keeper; England were four down with 119 needed.

Ben Stokes was scratchy and his flirts with danger playing the reverse sweep to Jadeja was his downfall, caught at short third-man but Root was super cool. He has been here and done it before. Smith hammered Jadeja for 18 in the final over to speed up the finish.