A Strong Start for the Tourists as Gill and Jaiswal Shine

India’s Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal made significant contributions to their team’s total, leaving England toiling on the opening day of the summer’s marquee series. The tourists announced themselves with a flex of their muscles, driving England to distraction and taking India to 359 for three.

Gill’s first outing as captain proved an unqualified success, with no one talking about the absences of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Jaiswal notched up 712 runs against England in India last year, including two double hundreds, and his image was practically burned onto their collective retina. However, his first Test match encounter with the Dukes ball saw no change of fortune.

Jaiswal’s knock was impressive, with the first by an Asian opener at Headingley. He left diligently, cut ferociously, and drove through the covers with panache. Gill, on the other hand, started fast and then bedded in, becoming the first Indian since Virat Kohli 11 years ago to make a century in his first innings as captain.

Gill’s celebration was in stark contrast to the serenity that got him there, while his vice-captain, Rishabh Pant, finished unbeaten on 65. Pant’s responsibility of being Gill’s new No 2 had dampened none of the mischief, as he danced down the pitch to Stokes’s second ball and clobbered him back over his head for four.

England’s bowlers were toil, with the tourists dominating the early exchanges and getting to within touching distance of lunch. The removal of KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan might have appeared a bit fortunate, but there was clearly a plan behind it. Jaiswal and Gill put on 129 for the third wicket, leaving England to ponder their strategy for the rest of the match.

Stokes was the best of the quicks on show, with figures of two for 43 from 13 overs, but his threat was not enough to stem the Indian tide. Carse flickered at times, while Tongue was scattergun and Woakes found precious little movement. Shoaib Bashir, the off-spinner, was a relative success, sending down 21 overs with little assistance from the surface and holding his own with an economy of 3.1 under the overall run-rate of 4.2.

The total at stumps looked possible, with India dominating the early exchanges and getting to within touching distance of lunch. However, England will refuse to believe they are snookered, and the match is far from over. The tourists have unquestionably arrived, and it will be interesting to see how England responds in the next two days.

Key Statistics

Shubman Gill: 127 not out

Yashasvi Jaiswal: 101

Rishabh Pant: 65 not out

England’s bowling economy: 4.2

Shoaib Bashir’s overs: 21

Shoaib Bashir’s economy: 3.1

What’s Next?

The match is evenly poised, with England facing a tough task to recover from the tourists’ strong start. The tourists will look to build on their dominant performance, while England will need to regroup and come up with a new strategy to take the game forward. The next two days will be crucial in determining the outcome of the match.