"They simply played old-fashioned, sensible Test cricket": Sanjay Manjrekar reflects on Duckett-Crawley 188 opening stand

New Delhi [India] June 25 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded England's clinical performance on the final day of the first test against India at Headingley, Leeds. He praised England batters Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley for their brilliant 188 opening stand.
Duckett's masterful 149 set the tone for a historic run chase as England chased down the target of 371 to defeat India by five wickets at Headingley. With the win, England take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar said while speaking on Match Centre Live, "Duckett and Crawley took their time -- they respected the conditions, and they respected the fact that the opposition had a guy named Jasprit Bumrah. In that first hour, there was absolutely no sign of 'Bazball'. They simply played old-fashioned, sensible Test cricket."
He also praised Indian seamer Prasidh Krishna for picking up two wickets in the second innings, and Shardul Thakur's wickets in the second session gave India fresh hope.
"Prasidh's double strike swung the match again in India's direction. And though the game started slipping, Shardul Thakur came in and gave India fresh hope. So, it wasn't a case of England dominating from start to finish. India were still pressing for a win late into the final day -- proving they're a tough side to beat, even in these conditions," he added.
Manjrekar also reflected on former England skipper Joe Root's match-winning innings during England's historic chase on Day 5.
"This is something he's made a habit of -- even in another format. In 50-over cricket recently, he played a brilliant innings where he remained 160 not out in a big run chase, and the next-best contribution in that innings was around 50 or 60. That's Joe Root -- one of the all-time greats. It's always good to see players like Joe Root and Kane Williamson in Test cricket," Manjrekar said.
The final day saw England produce a near-flawless run chase. Led by Ben Duckett's stunning 149 and key contributions from Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Jamie Smith, the hosts reached the target in just 82 overs, finishing at 373/5 to clinch a five-wicket win.
Duckett was awarded player of the match for his brilliance in the match.
Brief scores: India 471 & 364 (KL Rahul 137, Rishabh Pant 118; Josh Tongue 3/72) vs England 373/5 (Ben Duckett 149, Zak Crawley 65; Shardul Thakur 2/51). (ANI)