England openers steady after Pant, Rahul centuries put India in control at Headingley

England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley held firm late on day four of the first Test against India, finishing unbeaten on 21 as the hosts chase a tough 371-run target at Headingley.

Duckett was not out on 9 while Crawley remained unbeaten on 12, with England needing 350 more runs on the final day with all 10 wickets in hand. With the pitch still playing well, all results remain possible heading into day five.

Earlier, India resumed their second innings from 90/2 and were boosted by centuries from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, who stitched together a brilliant 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Shubman Gill, who started the day alongside Rahul, fell early for 8 as Brydon Carse found his off-stump. That brought Pant to the crease, and the wicketkeeper-batter continued his fine form from the first innings.

Pant scored a fluent 118 off 140 balls, hitting 15 fours and three sixes before falling just before tea. His aggressive strokeplay put pressure on England’s bowlers, while Rahul anchored the innings with a patient 137 off 247 deliveries, which included 18 boundaries.

After Pant’s dismissal, Rahul added 46 more runs with Karun Nair for the fifth wicket. But both batters were dismissed in quick succession, and India’s middle-order stumbled, going from 333/4 to 335/6.

Nair made 20 runs with three boundaries before being dismissed, exposing India’s lower order. Josh Tongue took full advantage, producing a triple-wicket maiden over to dismantle India’s tail.

Despite the collapse, Ravindra Jadeja stood firm at one end. He scored a valuable unbeaten 25 off 40 balls, hitting two fours and a six, and added a handy 15-run stand for the final wicket with Prasidh Krishna.

India were eventually bowled out for 364 in their second innings, setting England a target of 371.

Tongue and Carse led England’s bowling effort with three wickets each, while Shoaib Bashir picked up two. Captain Ben Stokes and returning all-rounder Chris Woakes claimed one wicket apiece.

The match is now set for an exciting finish on the final day, with England needing a record chase and India just 10 wickets away from victory.