Leeds: England beat India by five wickets to win the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday, going 1-0 up in the five-match series.

Set a daunting target of 371 runs, England pulled off a clinical chase, finishing on 373-5, with Jamie Smith ending the match in style with a six.

Duckett's century lays the foundation

Opener Ben Duckett was the star of the show, scoring a magnificent 149 that paved the way for a famous win. His opening partnership with Zac Crawley, worth 188 runs, knocked off more than half of the required target. It was a platform that England built upon with poise and determination.

England paced the mammoth chase of 371 runs brilliantly and secured victory with 14 overs to spare, despite the conditions, particularly in the morning and afternoon, favouring India’s bowlers.

Although India had a wicketless morning session, pacers Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur struck in the afternoon to give their side a glimmer of hope.

When spinner Ravindra Jadeja dismissed captain Ben Stokes after tea with 69 runs still needed, the chase briefly appeared tense.

But Joe Root, who remained 53 not out, and Jamie Smith, unbeaten on 44, calmly steered England home. The pair knocked off the remaining runs without allowing India any further opportunities, with Smith sealing the deal with a massive knee-down six over long-on.

Historic chase on fifth-day pitch

England pulled off the 10th highest successful run chase in Test history, executing it clinically and confidently on a fifth-day pitch. Resuming on a gloomy morning at 21-0 and still needing 350 more runs, England defied the odds with their composed performance.

This chase marked England’s 12th successful run pursuit in 18 matches under coach Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum. The remaining six matches were lost. Despite not being the typical aggressive “Bazball” style, England’s measured and controlled approach showcased a more mature version of the philosophy.

All-round entertainment at Headingley

In what turned out to be a thoroughly entertaining match over five days, this was only the third Test in history in which all four innings totalled 350 runs or more. India posted scores of 471 and 364, while England replied with 465 and 373-5.

(With agency inputs)