Duckett, Crawley Lead England’s Strong Push Toward Historic Win Over India

Ben Duckett continued his fine run of form, registering his 19th Test half-century

By DTD- On Jun 24, 2025

LONDON: — England’s opening pair Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley set the tone for what could be a historic chase against India, guiding their team to 117 without loss at lunch on the final day of the Test match, as they pursue a daunting target of 371 runs.

Starting the day at 21-0, England’s openers played with calculated patience, a departure from their usual aggressive approach. The pair took 99 balls to bring up their 50-run partnership — the slowest of their stands for England — but their cautious strategy paid off as they steadily wore down India’s bowling attack.

Ben Duckett continued his fine run of form, registering his 19th Test half-century, while Crawley complemented him with composed strokeplay. A fluent drive from Crawley took the duo past 2,000 Test runs together as an opening pair — a significant milestone.

After a measured start, the tempo picked up with the second 50 runs coming in almost half the time. However, India’s premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned to the attack and tested the openers with probing deliveries. Despite a few close calls, both Duckett (64*) and Crawley (42*) survived to see England through to the lunch break without loss.

With all ten wickets intact and 254 runs still needed, England remain in sight of what would be their second-highest successful run chase in Test history. The final two sessions promise a thrilling finish as the hosts look to secure a famous win.