England started their five-match Test series against India with a strong win at Headingley, Leeds. They chased down a big target of 371 runs and won by five wickets, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. This match reminded many fans of a similar England win over India in 2022 at Edgbaston. Here’s a simple look at the highlights and key points from the 2025 Leeds Test.
England Chased 371 to Win
England began the final day at 21/0. Openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley gave their team a great start. Duckett scored 149 with 21 fours and one six, while Crawley made 65. Together, they added 188 runs for the first wicket, setting the base for the big chase.
India struck back, removing four England batters for 235. But Joe Root (53*), Ben Stokes (33), and Jamie Smith (44*) kept their cool and finished the job. England chased the target in 82 overs.
Similar to India’s Loss in 2022
This match was quite similar to India’s loss at Edgbaston in 2022. Here’s why:
1. India Scored Over 400 in First Innings
In both matches, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first. But India batted strongly each time. In Leeds 2025, India scored 471, thanks to centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), Shubman Gill (147), and Rishabh Pant (134).
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Back in Birmingham 2022, India posted 416. They were 98/5, but Pant (146) and Jadeja (104) rescued the innings. Jasprit Bumrah added quick runs too, scoring 31 not out off 16 balls.
2. Pant Was Top Scorer Again
Rishabh Pant was India’s top scorer in both games. In Leeds 2025, he made 134 in the first innings and 118 in the second, ending with 252 runs in the match. KL Rahul also scored well, with 179 runs in total.
In 2022, Pant had scored 146 and 57, finishing with 203 runs. He was again India’s key batter.
3. England Chased Huge Scores Both Times
In both Tests, England chased big fourth-innings targets over 370 runs. In Leeds, they chased 371 in 82 overs. In 2022, they chased 378 in just 76.4 overs. These two matches are now England’s highest-ever successful run chases in Test cricket.
Only one other famous chase 359 runs against Australia in 2019 at Headingley, is close to these.
4. Bumrah Took 5 Wickets Again
Jasprit Bumrah was India’s best bowler in the first innings in both matches. In Leeds, he took 5 wickets for 83 runs in 24.4 overs. He got the first three wickets early and came back to get the final two. But in the second innings, he didn’t get any wickets.
In 2022, Bumrah was also captain and picked 3-68 in the first innings and 2-74 in the second. That made it five wickets in each match.
5. Similar Indian Bowling Line-Up
India had almost the same bowling attack in both Tests. Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Ravindra Jadeja played in both. The only difference: Mohammad Shami played in 2022, but in 2025 it was Prasidh Krishna. If Shami was fit, India would’ve likely used the exact same bowlers as they did in Birmingham.
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