The IND vs ENG 1st Test at Headingley got underway with a confident decision by England captain Ben Stokes, who chose to bowl first on the warm, sunny day. That proved to be a bad call as Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal dominated the day with magnificent centuries, kick-starting India’s new era of Test cricket against the Bazzball squad. India is now at 359 with 3 wickets down.
Jaiswal and Gill: IND vs ENG 1st Test Innings
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma out, the limelight was on India’s new-generation batsmen. Yashasvi Jaiswal, leading the side while opening the innings, and Shubman Gill, playing at No. 4 and captaining India in Tests for the first time, answered with character and class.
Jaiswal carried on his fruitful run of 18 months ago when he made 712 runs in the home series against England.
His century was a masterclass, all 17 boundaries, including a six cut over cover, were on that side. He accelerated from 50 to 100 in 48 balls, reflecting his intent and flexibility.
In the midst of all this, Shubman Gill took the show by storm with an authoritative innings as captain. He hit his quickest Test fifty off 56 balls and achieved his sixth Test century with a cover drive.
Early Drama and Overlooked Chances for England
Despite expectations of early movement off the pitch, England’s seamers failed to extract much. KL Rahul partnered with Jaiswal with composure, punishing every loose delivery. His dismissal, caught by Root off a Carse outswinger, was England’s only early success.
Opener Gill Settles, No. 3 on debut, lost to a smart setup by Ben Stokes. There were a couple of leg-side balls and an over-covered appeal before he finally edged one down the leg side to Jamie Smith just before lunch.
Gill Settles, England Struggles
Gill seemed nervous at first, almost out of runs and fortunate with overthrows, but calmed into his innings and began dominating the pace. England’s bowlers, including Woakes and Tongue, were unable to contain him as he started playing through the gaps with ease, pulling and driving with authority.
At the other end, Jaiswal fought a bout of cramp but did not let up. He launched debutant spinner Shoaib Bashir with confidence, cutting and lofting him for boundaries. He got to his century with two successive fours against Carse, raising his bat in triumph. His innings came to an early end soon after, when Stokes outsmarted him with a lovely delivery that kissed the top of the off-stump.
Pant Returns with Flair, Gill Goes Big
Rishabh Pant returned to the Test fringe almost three years after his last innings, and the aggression remained. Pant began with a drive over the top of Stokes for four, before smashing a pair of sixes to Bashir and Woakes, playing with his customary liberation.
Gill, however, was phenomenal and kept going faster. A flat pull shot for six, over long leg, and more boundaries. The second new ball didn’t deter the Indian batsmen, with Pant even getting a toe-ended four and a big slog-sweep six.
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