Duckett Shines with Century After First-Innings Fifty

LEEDS: Ben Duckett, the English opening batsman, achieved a remarkable feat during the fourth innings of the first Test against India, currently taking place here at Headingley on Tuesday, by scoring a century.

Duckett, having contributed a significant 62 runs in England’s first-innings reply to India’s 471, reinforced his performance with a striking century.

The left-handed batsman propelled England into a dominant position in their pursuit of 371 runs, scoring a rapid 149, including 21 boundaries and one six.

His outstanding innings enabled him to equal former England captain Sir Alastair Cook’s record of successive half-centuries at this ground.

Duckett also distinguished himself as the first England opener in 15 years to achieve a century in the fourth innings, following Cook’s precedent set against Bangladesh in 2010.

The 30-year-old also shared a significant 188-run opening stand with Zak Crawley, marking the highest opening partnership in a Test’s fourth innings against India and at Headingley.

Moreover, it stands as England’s second-highest overall in the fourth innings of a Test match.

This strong partnership provided a firm base for the hosts to pursue the challenging 371-run target in the series’ opening match of the five-Test series.

The home team controlled the chase until the 55th over, when Ben Duckett and Harry Brook were dismissed, reducing the total to 253/4.

At the time of reporting, England’s score was 284/4 in 63 overs, needing 87 runs with six wickets remaining. England’s captain, Ben Stokes, and Joe Root were not out on 20 and 22, respectively.

Duckett was the leading scorer for England with 149, followed by Crawley, who scored 65.