• India’s young left-hander Sai Sudharsan endured a forgettable start to his Test career.

  • Sudharsan for a four-ball duck on debut against England on Day 1 of the Headingley Test.

ENG vs IND 2025: Fans divided as Sai Sudharsan gets out for duck on Test debut against England in Headingley
Sai Sudharsan (Image Source: X)

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India’s young left-hander Sai Sudharsan endured a forgettable start to his Test career, falling for a four-ball duck on debut against England in Headingley. The dismissal came just before lunch on Day 1 of the first Test, after India had made a cautious yet promising start.

Sai Sudharsan falls for a duck on Test Debut as England’s tactical trap strikes before Lunch

The build-up to his wicket revealed England’s meticulous planning, led by the tactical brilliance of Ben Stokes. A series of leg-stump deliveries and precise field placements foreshadowed what was to come. And when the moment arrived, Sudharsan walked straight into the trap, leaving India at 92/2 heading into the break.

With the ball showing signs of swing and variable bounce under overcast skies, England’s captain Stokes sensed an opportunity. Knowing that debutants often seek to get off the mark quickly, Stokes operated with a leg-stump line and crowded the leg-side. A leg slip, short fine leg, and eventually a leg gully were deployed, unusual but deliberate. On the fourth delivery to Sudharsan, Stokes bowled full and angled into the body with subtle tail.

The left-hander, attempting a controlled glance to get off the mark, instead got the faintest tickle. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, alert and acrobatic, dived sharply to his right and held a brilliant catch with both hands. It was a textbook ‘strangle,’ dismissal not a rash stroke, but a calculated trap working to perfection. For Sudharsan, who was presented his cap in the morning in a heartfelt gesture by Cheteshwar Pujara, it was a tough initiation into the demands of Test cricket. As he walked off with a blank scorecard and his head down, it marked not just the end of a short stay, but the beginning of a learning curve in red-ball cricket. The wicket shifted the momentum slightly back in England’s favour, just when India looked set for a solid opening session.

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India off to a steady but shaky start at Lunch on Day 1 in Headingley

India reached 92/2 at Lunch on Day 1 of the opening Test against England at Headingley, after being put in to bat under overcast skies. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul laid a solid foundation with a composed 91-run stand, playing with discipline and clarity against a probing English pace attack. Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 42 off 74 balls, striking eight crisp boundaries and looking assured at the crease.

Rahul, too, looked fluent for his 42 before falling to Brydon Carse in the 25th over, edging a length ball to Joe Root in the slips. Just a delivery later, debutant Sai Sudharsan walked in, only to fall for a duck four balls into his Test career. Stokes had set him up with a smart leg-side trap, eventually strangling him down leg, caught superbly by keeper Jamie Smith. England’s decision to bowl first paid off late in the session with those two quick breakthroughs. Despite the double blow, India will be pleased with their scoring rate and the start provided by the openers, though the pressure will now shift to captain Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in the next session to steady the innings.

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