Leeds [UK], June 24 : England's openers put on a dominant display in the first session of the final day of the Headingley Test, giving the hosts a strong start in their chase of 371 against India.
Resuming at 21/0 on Tuesday morning, England steadily built on their platform and went into lunch at 117 without loss, needing a further 254 runs for victory and a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett batted with composure and control, blunting the Indian attack.
Duckett was the more aggressive of the two, racing to 64 off 89 balls with eight boundaries. Crawley, anchoring the innings, remained unbeaten on 42 off 93 deliveries, including four boundaries. The pair brought up the 50-run partnership in 16.2 overs and crossed the 100 mark in 24.3 overs, keeping the required run rate in check.
India's bowling attack failed to make any breakthroughs in the session. Jasprit Bumrah bowled tightly and conceded just 21 runs in his 9 overs, but also dropped a tough return catch off Crawley that could have provided the much-needed opening. Mohammed Siraj gave away 23 runs from eight overs, while Ravindra Jadeja kept things tidy with figures of 4-0-9-0. However, both Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur proved expensive, Krishna leaking 38 runs from his six overs and Thakur conceding 17 runs in just three.
With two more sessions left in the day, England have laid a solid foundation in their pursuit of a daunting fourth-innings target. India will need a dramatic turnaround in the afternoon session to shift the momentum.
Brief scores: India 471 & 364 (KL Rahul 137, Rishabh Pant 118; Josh Tongue 3/72) vs England (Ben Duckett 64, Zak Crawley 42; Ravindra Jadeja 0/9)