England secured a remarkable victory over India at Headingley, successfully chasing 371 runs on the final day to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, with skipper Ben Stokes left delighted.
The pursuit, spearheaded by Ben Duckett's extraordinary 149, represents England's second-highest successful run chase in Test history.
Only their 378-run triumph against the same opponents at Edgbaston in 2022 surpasses this achievement.
The hosts demonstrated exceptional composure throughout the fifth day, methodically accumulating the required runs despite facing the world's premier Test bowler, Jasprit Bumrah.
England successfully chased 371 runs on the final day
Reuters
The victory extends England's impressive sequence at Headingley to six consecutive wins dating back to 2018, with the home side bowling first on each occasion.
Captain Stokes faced intense scrutiny for his decision to field first after India reached 430-3 in their opening innings.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan declared himself "staggered" by the choice.
Stokes remained unrepentant about his controversial call at the toss, however, with the skipper telling the BBC: "It's a good job Test cricket is played over five days.
"It looked like there was a lot of top moisture on it, it felt like there was. You do first what you think will give you the best chance of winning the game."
JUST IN: Emma Raducanu received 'some pretty bad news' before tears following Eastbourne win
England captain Ben Stokes said it's a 'good job' Test cricket is 'over five days'
Reuters
He added: "Headingley does generally quite a lot early on. I thought it was a great chance to potentially nick three or four in the first hour. The opposition are allowed to play well."
Stokes attributed England's remarkable record of six successful fourth-innings chases above 250 to his partnership with coach Brendon McCullum and their straightforward approach: "We're a very simple-minded pair, me and Baz, when it comes to cricket.
"We just try to keep everything as simple and as calm as we possibly can.
"When you're chasing down totals like that, keeping the relaxed vibe as much as we can is so important to the mindset of someone, to go out there in the middle with the pressures of that situation."
READ MORE: Roger Federer, 43, reveals plan for Wimbledon return and leaks Andy Murray news
"[Our task] was pretty simple: if we bat the overs that are left in the game, we will win."
England's bowling attack demonstrated remarkable resilience despite lengthy periods in the field, with Stokes praising his team's unwavering commitment:
"Every session we turned up with the attitude that we could blow this match apart," he added.
The captain highlighted Josh Tongue's crucial contributions, describing his performances as "massively game-changing".
Tongue claimed seven wickets in each innings, helping restrict India to collapses of seven for 41 and seven for 73.
Stokes continued: "There's been a lot of skill that's contributed towards us winning this Test match, but also the attitude that the team has showed towards this game.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Ben Stokes became England captain in 2022
Reuters
"Sometimes when you've been out on the field for a long time it's very easy to wait for things to happen."
The victory vindicated Stokes's decision-making, with England's record under his captaincy speaking volumes.
Since becoming captain in 2022, Stokes has opted to field first on nine of the ten occasions England have won the toss in home Tests.
This approach has yielded seven victories, one defeat and a draw that would likely have been another win at Old Trafford in 2023 had rain not intervened.
Headingley's unique characteristics further justified the decision, being the only Test venue since 2011 to progressively produce more runs per wicket throughout a match.
India's collapse from 430-3 to 471 represented a historic capitulation, with only one team in Test history has previously losing after accumulating more runs for three wickets in their first innings.
The second Test at Edgbaston begins on 2 July.
Most Read
