Lunch: England 465 & 117-0 (Duckett 64, Crawley 42) trail India 471 & 364 by 254 runs
England’s openers negotiated a grey, floodlit first session at Headingley without alarm, clipping 117 runs from the target and ensuring every result stays on the table going into the last two sessions.
Ben Duckett, 64 not out, set the tempo. Early on he missed a couple of trademark scoops, yet once Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj finished their opening bursts he switched to orthodox cuts and pulls, reaching a 66-ball fifty. Zak Crawley, unbeaten on 42, provided quieter assurance at the other end.
The pair’s stand – already their fourth century partnership – also carried them beyond 2,000 runs together, making them the first England opening duo to reach that landmark since Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss. “These two complement each other nicely,” noted former captain Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports. “Crawley’s reach and Duckett’s busy footwork ask very different questions of the bowlers.”
India’s best chance came just before lunch when Bumrah, diving forward and left, could not cling on to a sharp return chance from Crawley. Earlier, Shubman Gill persuaded Rohit Sharma to review an lbw shout against Crawley on 21; ball-tracking showed the delivery from Siraj would have climbed over leg stump.
The change bowlers found less movement. Prasidh Krishna’s fuller length disappeared through extra cover, while Shardul Thakur’s shorter balls sat up for Duckett’s pulls. “It’s still doing enough,” insisted Siraj during the mid-session interview with the host broadcaster. “One wicket can open things up.”
Rain had been forecast but never arrived; instead the players dealt with low cloud and persistent artificial light. England will resume this afternoon needing both patience and controlled aggression. India, 254 ahead, know that even a modest cluster of wickets would hand them firm control. For now, though, honours are even and the final day remains delicately poised.
