“India vs England 1st Test 2025: Full Match Recap, Scorecard & Key Moments”

🏟️ India vs England – 1st Test, Anderson–Tendulkar

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📍 Venue: Headingley, Leeds

📅 Dates: June 20–24, 2025

🔍 Match Summary

England pulled off a sensational five-wicket win over India, chasing down a massive target of 371, marking the second-highest successful fourth‑innings chase in England’s Test history timesofindia.indiatimes.com+9reuters.com+9bcci.tv+9. This win also carried historical significance—it’s the first time a team scored five centuries but still lost a Test reuters.com.

Day 1 & 2: India’s Dominance with the Bat

The match began with India’s batters putting on a strong display. After winning the toss, India posted a formidable first innings total of 471. The highlight was a magnificent century from Shubman Gill (147), leading from the front in his captaincy debut. He was ably supported by a resilient Rishabh Pant (134), who continued his impressive Test form with another ton. With Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) also contributing a century, This seemed to put India in a commanding position.

England’s Response and Ollie Pope’s Heroics

England’s reply was marked by a brilliant century from Ollie Pope (106), who played a crucial innings to steady the ship. However, India’s pacers, particularly Jasprit Bumrah (5/83), continued to pose a threat, ensuring England were eventually bowled out for 465, giving India a slender but significant 6-run first-innings lead. Harry Brook also contributed significantly, falling just one run short of a century with 99.

Day 3 & 4: India Extends Lead, Pant Makes History

India’s second innings saw a concerted effort to build on their lead. KL Rahul (137) played a superb anchoring knock, while Rishabh Pant etched his name in the history books by scoring his second century of the match (118), becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat in a Test in England. India reached 364, setting England a challenging target of 371 runs to win. Despite five centurions in the match for India, a remarkable and painful first in Test cricket history to still suffer a defeat, their lower-order collapse in both innings proved costly.

Day 5: The “Bazball” Masterclass and Duckett’s Blinder

The final day began with England needing 350 runs, and the “Bazball” approach was on full display. Openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley set the tone with an aggressive partnership, putting on 188 runs for the first wicket. Duckett was the chief aggressor, smashing a sensational 149 off just 170 balls, dismantling the Indian bowling attack with audacious stroke play.

Despite a brief wobble triggered by Shardul Thakur’s quick double-strike, which removed Duckett and Harry Brook, and Ravindra Jadeja’s crucial wicket of Ben Stokes, England maintained their composure. Joe Root (53)* once again proved to be the rock, guiding the chase with a composed unbeaten half-century. Debutant Jamie Smith (44)* provided excellent support, playing some cheeky shots to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Ultimately, England reached the target with five wickets in hand, marking the second-highest successful run chase on English soil in Test cricket. The winning runs came off the bat of Jamie Smith, sealing a memorable victory.

🌟 Star Performers

For England

Ben Duckett – A match-defining 149 in the chase, earned Player of the Match timesofindia.indiatimes.com+12theguardian.com+12theguardian.com+12.
Zak Crawley – Crucial 65-run opening partnership with Duckett in the Second innings. bcci.tv+15theguardian.com+15thetimes.co.uk+15
Josh Tongue & Ben Stokes – Key bowlers, especially Tongue for clean-up strikes.
Joe Root & Jamie Smith – Anchored the tense finish theguardian.com+7reuters.com+7thetimes.co.uk+7.

For India

Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal – All notched centuries thetimes.co.uk+15de.wikipedia.org+15talksport.com+15.
Jasprit Bumrah – Claimed a five‑wicket haul in England’s first innings bcci.tv+15theguardian.com+15theguardian.com+15.
Rishabh Pant’s Twin Centuries: A truly special performance, though unfortunately in a losing cause for India
Shardul Thakur & Prasidh Krishna – Picked key wickets in the final innings .

🔄 Turning Points

Lower‑order collapse: India lost their final seven wickets for just 41 runs in the first innings, and six wickets for 31 runs in the second—crucial momentum shifts espn.com+3reuters.com+3theguardian.com+3.
Dropped catches, especially Yashasvi Jaiswal’s miscues, allowed England to build their chase en.wikipedia.org+4de.wikipedia.org+4economictimes.indiatimes.com+4.
Duckett–Crawley stand broke the game open, putting England in control pre‑lunch on Day 5 reuters.com
England’s “Bazball” Mentality: The fearless approach to chasing a big total, even after losing wickets, showcased the impact of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ philosophy.

What Lies Ahead:

England takes a 1-0 lead in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The caravan now moves to Birmingham for the second Test, starting on Wednesday, July 2. India will undoubtedly be looking to regroup and address their bowling inconsistencies and lower-order collapses. For England, the victory validates their aggressive brand of cricket and sets the stage for what promises to be a captivating series. The Headingley Test was a testament to the enduring thrill of Test cricket, delivering drama, individual brilliance, and a truly remarkable run chase.

2nd Test preview:

📍 Edgbaston Second Test Preview – England vs India

🗓️ Dates & Setting

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Dates: July 2–6, 2025
Series Score: England lead 1–0 (after the Headingley win)

🔄 Squad Changes & Team

News

🏏 England

Added: Jofra Archer recalled to the squad—his first Test selection since Feb 2021 after overcoming elbow/back injuries. His county stint with Sussex (18 overs, 1–32) earned the nod.
Only Change: Archer is the sole addition to the 14-man squad—it’ll be up to selectors to choose whom he replaces, with Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes likely candidates.
Debate in Media: Former captain Michael Vaughan cautioned that picking Archer now is risky, advising patience until Test 3 . Nasser Hussain echoed that sentiment, calling the selection “a gamble”.

🏏 India

Dropped: Harshit Rana removed from squad post-Headingley; he has returned home.
Likely Omission: Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be rested for workload management, given his heavy use in Leeds.
Potential Replacements: India is in limbo over how to replace Bumrah and Shardul Thakur. Kuldeep Yadav is being considered for spin-friendly Edgbaston, boosted by Sunil Gavaskar’s endorsement.
Injury Watch: Young batter Sai Sudharsan suffered a shoulder issue in Leeds and is doubtful
Training Update: India has resumed closed-door sessions, with Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna notably absent from bowling drills—signaling rotation