Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill struck commanding centuries to hand India the early initiative in the first Test against England, as the visitors closed Day One at Headingley on an imposing 359 for 3.
Despite clear and humid conditions that seemed to favour batting, England captain Ben Stokes opted to bowl first—mirroring the trend from the previous six Leeds Tests, all won by the side bowling first. However, the decision quickly appeared ill-advised as India’s top order took control.
Openers KL Rahul and Jaiswal started confidently, with Rahul compiling a solid 42 before falling to debutant Brydon Carse, who was playing his first Test on home soil. England struck again on the stroke of lunch when Stokes dismissed debutant Sai Sudharsan for a duck, reducing India to 90 for 2.
But from there, it was the Jaiswal and Gill show. The pair batted with composure and intent throughout the afternoon session, adding 129 for the third wicket. Jaiswal, despite needing treatment for a hand injury, powered to his fifth Test century—his third against England and second of the year.
Gill, under pressure in his first Test as captain following the retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, responded with a classy, unbeaten 127—his first Test ton outside Asia. The 25-year-old, now India’s fifth-youngest captain, showed no signs of nerves, racing to his fastest-ever Test fifty and guiding the innings with maturity beyond his years.
Jaiswal eventually fell for 101 when Stokes bowled him late in the day, but Gill continued untroubled, joined by Rishabh Pant, who added a quick-fire half-century of his own—bringing it up with a typically unorthodox stroke.
With Gill and Pant unbeaten and the scoreboard ticking over rapidly, England’s bowlers toiled in vain on a day that left them firmly on the back foot heading into the rest of the five-match series.
Scorecard (End of Day 1):
India 359-3 (Jaiswal 101, Gill 127, Pant 51*)*
England: yet to bat
