Five batters score a century but the team still loses. India claim another unwanted record after the Headingly Test!

The first Test at Headingly has ended in an embarrassing defeat for India. What's even more disturbing to know is that India became the first team ever to lose a Test match even after scoring five individual hundreds. Much of their downfall can be attributed to the poor performance of their lower order, who went down without offering a fight.

Only once before did a team manage to lose a Test with four centuries. That record belonged to Australia from the 1928 Ashes Test up until now. Amidst the adversary, India's top order stood tall in both innings. Jaiswal, Gill, and Pant were the three centurions from the first innings, with Gill being the highest contributor, scoring 147 off 227. Pant starred again in the second innings, notching up an enthralling century (118 off 140) while Rahul also got to his century, scoring a breathtaking 137. 

Despite the sheer brilliance from the Indian top-order batters, India failed to get a sufficient lead, allowing England to script their second-highest run chase in Tests.

See also: HUGE! India claim an embarrassing record in the Headingly Test

So how did it all go wrong in the first place?

Contrary to the end result, Indian batters started off positively and ended proceedings on day one with a staggering score of 358-3. Jaiswal and Gill had punctured the inexperienced bowling attack while Pant terrorized them with his unorthodox strokeplay. But complacency crept in on day two following the dismissal of the Indian skipper. Gill's departure triggered an unprecedented batting collapse as India lost their last seven wickets for 41 runs and were prematurely bowled out for 471. 

A similar pattern was observed on the fourth day as well. India seemed to be cruising along nicely when Pant and Rahul were at the crease. The duo dragged India from a tricky situation of 92-3 and put on a massive 195 runs for the fourth wicket to help India steady the ship. But once the second new ball was taken by England, India lost their composure. After the end of the partnership, India lost their remaining six wickets for only 33 runs to get bundled out for 364. Josh Tongue devastated the tourists by picking up three wickets inside an over to help England roll over the visitors without taking too much damage. 

Tasked with chasing a fourth innings score of 371, England batted a little over three sessions and got to their target eventually with five wickets in hand. Duckett top-scored for England and laid the foundation for a record-breaking run chase for his side by scoring 149.