IND vs ENG Live Score, 1st Test Match: India hunt for breakthroughs as resolute Duckett, Crawley keep England steady

India vs England Live Score, 1st Test Day 5: India endured a wicketless morning as England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley blunted the attack with a resolute and fluent 117-run partnership by lunch on the final day of the first Test at Headingley.

Chasing 371, England now need 254 more runs to pull off a record win, with Duckett unbeaten on 64 and Crawley solid on 42.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled a fiery spell, troubling both batters and beating Duckett once with a superb off-cutter. However, the rest of the Indian pace attack – Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur – lacked consistency and failed to maintain pressure. England capitalised, punishing anything full or short, and scored 96 runs in the session without much trouble.

Duckett’s cover drive off Prasidh and Crawley’s proactive footwork summed up England’s intent. With a heavy roller flattening the pitch, Ravindra Jadeja found little help in terms of spin or bounce. India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel was seen passing instructions, but the support bowlers remained ineffective. Bumrah even missed a return catch chance off Crawley.

India’s lines and lengths need immediate improvement in the second session, or the ghosts of Edgbaston 2022 — where England chased 378 — could come back to haunt them.