The China Mail - India's Krishna strikes twice after Duckett hundred boosts England chase

Following a 20-minute rain delay in the second session, India finally ended a first-wicket stand of 188.

One ball after pulling Krishna for four, Zak Crawley (65) edged a drive to first slip, where KL Rahul held a sharp catch.

At that stage, England needed a further 183 runs to reach a victory target of 371 after their highest fourth-innings opening partnership since Michael Atherton and Graham Gooch put on 203 against Australia at Adelaide in 1991.

Crawley's exit brought in Ollie Pope after the vice-captain top-scored with 106 in England's first-innings 465.

But Pope could only manage eight before he was bowled by a fine ball from Krishna to leave England 206-2.

Earlier, Duckett was fortunate to complete his sixth hundred in 34 Tests.

He had made 97 when he top-edged a pull off Mohammed Siraj only for Yashasvi Jaiswal, running in from deep square leg, to drop the catch to the fast bowler's visible fury.

Soon afterwards, Duckett's reverse hit off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took him to a century with his 14th four in 121 balls faced.

If England achieve their target, it will be just behind their record fourth-innings chase of 378 against India at Edgbaston three years ago.

And it would also be the second-highest chase in a Test at Headingley, surpassing England's 362-9 against Australia in 2019 when current captain Ben Stokes' unbeaten century secured a stunning one-wicket Ashes win.

England resumed on 21-0, with both sides eyeing an early lead in the five-match series.

Crawley (12 not out) and Duckett (nine not out) were confronted with the daunting task of facing Jasprit Bumrah, fresh from a five-wicket haul in the first innings, in overcast conditions.

But the closest India came to separating the pair before lunch was when Bumrah dropped an exceptionally tough low, left-handed caught and bowled chance off Crawley when he was on 42.

Duckett went on the attack after lunch, on-driving Bumrah for a superb four, with Crawley whipping the India spearhead for a boundary through square-leg.

A quick single took Crawley to a 111-ball fifty -- the slowest of his England career but still hugely valuable.

India's Rishabh Pant became only the second wicketkeeper to score two hundreds in a Test when he made 118 on Sunday to follow his first-innings 134.

But, despite five individual centuries in this match, India would have been in a stronger position had they not suffered collapses of 7-41 and 6-31 at the back end of each innings.

C.Smith--ThChM