Was there ever any doubt that England would settle for anything less than a win? Ben Stokes has always been vocal about not playing for draws, and his team has once again backed up his words with action. All in all, it was Test cricket at its finest, a seesaw battle from start to finish, with the final session on Day 5 needed to separate the two sides. This loss will sting for India, but thankfully for them, there's a bit of a break before the next Test, which begins on Wednesday, July 2. The caravan now moves to Birmingham for the second Test of this five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with Edgbaston playing host. The first ball will be bowled at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT), but as always, we will be here early with the build-up. Until then, there's plenty of cricket to look forward to. The second Test of Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka and Australia’s Test series in the Caribbean both get underway on June 25, while South Africa’s Test series in Zimbabwe begins later in the week. Cheers!

The victorious captain of England, Ben Stokes, starts by reflecting on the good memories they hold in Headingley and says that this win is another one to add to it. Says it was awesome to chase a big target on the last day. Reflects that they bowled well in the first session, but India batted equally well on that first day. On his decision to bowl after winning the toss, Stokes says that he doesn't think he should have made a different decision. Points out that they saw a bit of grass and moisture on the surface and thought that would do them good. On Duckett's batting, he mentions that he is an unbelievable batter and points out that his partnership with Zak Crawley set the tone for the chase brilliantly. Also assesses that the way Crawley was able to stay composed and to get 65 was important as well. Calls it a great start to the series and also tells that there's a huge skill contributing to the win. Adds that they were in the field for long periods of time but they turned up each session with an attitude of blowing the game wide open. Further tells that Josh Tongue's spells were crucial and game-changing. On being asked whether England's bowling looked ineffective, he denies it and says that the last day showed it was a good wicket. Mentions about having a good attitude and they did show that. Adds that the hard work and toil they put in the field paid off really well as Josh Tongue wiped off the Indian tail. Ends by saying that it's great to start the series with a win and they look forward to the next one.

The skipper of India, Shubman Gill, says that it was a brilliant Test match, and they had their chances in the match but they dropped catches and the lower order did not contribute as much as they would have liked. Adds that they were thinking about getting to 430 and then declaring but they lost the last few wickets rather quickly. Mentions that they had talked about the first innings collapse and they will look to rectify that in the upcoming games. States that the chances don't come easily, especially on this kind of pitch but they have a young team who will learn going forward. Says that they bowled quite well and didn't give away many runs in the first session but once the ball got old, it was hard to stop the runs. Highlights that you have to take wickets when the ball gets soft. Adds that Jadeja bowled brilliantly as he produced some chances. On which games Jasprit Bumrah will play in this series, he replies that they will decide game by game and that they have a good break after this game, so they will look when the next game comes close.

Ben Duckett is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his match-winning knock of 149 runs from 170 balls, adding to his first-innings contribution of 62 off 94. Ben says it was an incredible game of cricket. Adds India were superb and to go into Day 5, the way they (England) finished was just incredible and he feels proud to be a part of this game. Highlights that they wanted to get through the last evening (Day 4) without losing any wickets. On the final day, highlights that they were pretty clear with their plans that was to bat through. Says that they displayed a great level of maturity throughout the day and showed how much it means to win the game. Admits that they were behind at many stages in the game but credits the bowlers who got the Indian tail out cheaply, or else India could have easily added 50-60 runs to this total. Appreciates Zak Crawley and points out that they saw him doing well against Zimbabwe as well, where he respected the good balls and put the bad ones away. On facing Jasprit Bumrah, Duckett says that he is a world-class bowler and was superb in the first innings. Shares that their plan was to limit his impact come the second innings and also highlights that they played him with caution. On being asked to reflect on his reverse sweeps against Jadeja, he says it was tough to play him with a straight bat and hence the reverse sweep was the shot he went with and turned out to be productive. At last, he appreciates the way Root batted and also says that Smith taking them home at the end was amazing. 

Time for the presentation ceremony...

India ended Day 3 with a lead of 96, having lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan, setting up a challenging first session on Day 4. England made an early breakthrough on Day 4 as Brydon Carse removed Shubman Gill in just the second over of the morning. Rishabh Pant began in a typically adventurous fashion before adjusting to the situation, combining with KL Rahul for a crucial stand that saw India through to Lunch without further damage. The afternoon belonged to the visitors, as both Rahul and Pant brought up brilliant centuries. Pant, in the process, became the first Indian to score hundreds in both innings of a Test in England. However, just as the visitors looked to press on, England fought back with the second new ball. The final session saw another lower-order collapse as India lost 6 for 31 and were bowled out for 364, leaving England 371 to chase.

England’s reply began on a scratchy note with Zak Crawley falling to Bumrah early, but Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope quickly took control firmly. India’s fielding woes proved a bit too costly as they dropped Pope, allowing him to march to a brilliant century. England closed day two strongly on 209/3, having wrestled back momentum after India’s spectacular collapse and their own composed batting display. India's fielding woes continued on Day 3. Brook, caught off a no-ball on 0 late on Day 2, was dropped on 46 and 82 before falling for 99. Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse then guided England close to parity, reducing what could have been a big deficit to just 6 runs.

The Headingley Test started with England’s bold decision to bowl first on a batter's paradise. India’s openers provided a solid 91-run foundation before a mini-collapse to 92/2, but Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill steadied things with a brilliant 129-run stand. Both reached their centuries before Jaiswal departed. Rishabh Pant strode out with his typical adventurous flair, taking India to 359/3 on day one. Day two saw Pant complete his century in a dominant partnership with Gill, with India cruising at 430/3. Then came the collapse of all sorts as once Gill fell, India imploded from comfort to 471 all out. Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue claimed four wickets each as the last 7 wickets tumbled for just 41 runs.

Ben Stokes and Joe Root joined forces at a crucial juncture in the game, with England still needing 118 runs. Stokes repeatedly employed the reverse sweep to counter Ravindra Jadeja, emulating Ben Duckett, who had found great success with the shot. But as the saying goes, you live by the sword and die by it and in Stokes’s case, it brought about his downfall. Root, however, stood firm under pressure and found solid support from Jamie Smith. The pair ensured there were no further hiccups in the chase.

After safely negotiating a tricky passage late on Day 4, England began the final day needing 350 runs with all ten wickets in hand. Under overcast skies, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley faced a disciplined Indian attack, but both openers grew in confidence as the session progressed, with runs starting to flow at a healthy rate. Their 188-run opening stand laid the perfect platform for the chase. Duckett, having been dropped on 97, went on to register his sixth Test century. Even after the loss of two quick wickets, he continued to find the boundaries and denied India any chance to build pressure. Just when the game seemed to be slipping away, a double strike from Shardul Thakur briefly reignited Indian hopes.

A famous win for England, and one that will be remembered for a very long time. Another memorable chapter has been added to Ben Stokes and his men’s legacy at Headingley, as they pulled off what now stands as England’s second-highest successful Test chase and their highest at this iconic venue. What makes this win truly special is not just the size of the target, but the manner in which England kept finding ways to claw their way back into the contest after being on the back foot multiple times throughout the Test. A tough pill to swallow for this new-look Indian side. In both innings with the bat, they had chances to tighten their grip on the game but repeatedly left the door ajar for the hosts. In the field as well, dropped catches proved costly and ultimately came back to haunt them.

DRINKS BREAK! England are almost there. Joe Root has been solid under pressure, while Jamie Smith has shown great composure at the other end. The second new ball is India’s last roll of the dice, but they simply do not have enough runs to work with. Despite the many twists and turns we have witnessed in this see-saw battle, another twist looks unlikely from here. Umpire Chris Gaffaney taps at his watch to signal the final hour of play. Ravindra Jadeja to continue after the break.