By The Sampadak Express
In a historic yet heartbreaking turn of events, India became the first team in Test cricket history to lose a match despite five individual players scoring centuries. The record-breaking match unfolded at Headingley, where England successfully chased a daunting target of 371 runs.
Key Stats and Records from the Match:
371: England’s fourth-innings target, which they chased successfully. This is their second-highest successful chase in Test cricket history and also the second-highest by any team against India. England’s highest remains the 378-run chase against India in Edgbaston (2022).
350: Runs required by England at the start of Day 5. Only Australia’s 404-run chase against England at Headingley in 1948 stands higher as a last-day chase.
1st Team to Lose with Five Centurions: India set an unfortunate record by becoming the first-ever team to lose a Test despite having five individual centurions. Previously, the highest number of centurions in a losing side was four by Australia in 1928 against England at the MCG.
835: India’s total runs across both innings the fourth-highest aggregate by a team in a losing cause in Test history. India’s previous highest in a losing cause was 759 runs against Australia in Adelaide in 2014.
3: This was only the third Test in history where all four innings had scores of 350+. The two earlier instances occurred during Ashes Tests 1921 in Adelaide and 1948 at Headingley.
1673: Combined runs scored in the match the highest aggregate in any Test between India and England, surpassing the 1614-run match in Manchester in 1990. It’s also the fifth-highest run aggregate for any non-drawn Test.
5: Successful 300+ chases at Headingley. England’s 371-run pursuit is the second-highest at the venue, behind Australia’s 404 in 1948. Only Durban’s Kingsmead has witnessed more successful 300+ chases (three).
149: Ben Duckett’s spectacular knock the highest individual score in the fourth innings against India, surpassing Joe Root’s unbeaten 142 in 2022. It’s also the second-highest fourth-innings score by an England opener, after Mike Atherton’s 185* against South Africa in 1995.
188: Opening stand between Duckett and Zak Crawley the fifth-highest opening partnership in a fourth innings and second-best for England, after the 203-run stand by Atherton and Gooch against Australia in 1991.
12: Total players now who have scored centuries in both innings of a Test and still ended up on the losing side. The most recent before this match was Brendan Taylor against Bangladesh in 2018.
This Headingley Test will be remembered not just for the sheer volume of runs, but for rewriting the history books with India on the wrong side of a statistical landmark despite a monumental batting performance.
