5 Centuries, Still A Loss: For The First Time In 148 Years, India Creates Unwanted Test Record At Leeds

India becomes the first team in 148 years of Test cricket to lose a match despite five centuries in one game. England stuns India at Leeds. Here’s what went wrong.

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In a truly staggering turn of events, India has etched its name in Test cricket history books, but not for the reasons it would have hoped. Following their dramatic defeat to England at Headingley, India became the first team in the 148-year history of Test cricket to lose a match despite scoring five individual centuries in a single Test, a record never seen before in the sport.

The Match That Made History

India entered the first Test at Leeds with new captain Shubman Gill, looking to create an impact in his first Test as captain, and on paper, they looked dominant. With five of their batters registering centuries: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant (who scored two centuries). This batting performance alone would have suggested a one-sided win for India. But what followed was a collapse of a different kind, not with the bat, but with the ball.

How England Turned the Tables

England, chasing a daunting target of 371 in the fourth innings, scripted a near-perfect run chase. Ben Duckett’s aggressive 149 at the top set the tone, while Zak Crawley, Joe Root, and debutant Jamie Smith added crucial contributions to take the hosts home with five wickets in hand. Despite India’s historical batting display, their bowling attack failed to penetrate. Lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah was visibly fatigued after a heavy workload in the previous Tests, and the rest of the attack lacked sting and discipline. England reached the target with confidence and composure, leaving India stunned.

A 148-Year-Old Record Shattered

Until now, no team in Test history, dating back to the first official Test in 1877, had ever lost a match after producing five individual centuries. Scoring even four centuries in a losing cause was rare, with Australia doing so in 1929. India's achievement is statistically spectacular but painfully hollow in context.

Conclusion

While the record will remain part of cricketing trivia forever, it’s a painful reminder that even the most dominant batting show cannot guarantee victory in Test cricket. India has now been handed an unwanted slice of history, and a wake-up call they must not ignore.