India delivered a commanding performance on the opening day of the first Test against England at Headingley, ending the day at a formidable 359/3 in 85 overs. After being put in to bat by Ben Stokes on a surface offering early assistance, India’s batters put on a clinic, led by brilliant centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill.
The visitors got off to a solid start with KL Rahul and Jaiswal forging a fluent 91-run stand. Rahul looked in control before falling to Brydon Carse for 42, caught by Joe Root at first slip. England found renewed energy just before lunch when Ben Stokes struck on the final ball of the session to dismiss debutant B Sai Sudharsan for a duck, leaving India at 94/2 at the break.
Post-lunch, India took control as Jaiswal and Gill built a strong 129-run stand. Jaiswal, despite battling cramps, showcased his all-round strokeplay to bring up a superb 101 off 158 balls, becoming the first Indian opener to score a century at Headingley and adding to his growing legend with tons in both Australia and England on maiden appearances. His innings ended with a beauty from Stokes that pegged back his off stump at the start of the third session.
Gill, on the other hand, looked majestic throughout the day. Promoted to No. 4 under the guidance of coach Gautam Gambhir, he embraced the responsibility with a composed century, reaching the milestone with a crisp cover drive. Alongside Rishabh Pant, who added a brisk, unbeaten 61, Gill added 138 runs for the fourth wicket to shut out any chances of an English resurgence late in the day.
Both batters reached significant personal landmarks—Gill crossed 2000 Test runs, while Pant brought up 3000 in the format. England's bowlers, apart from Stokes (2 wickets) and Carse (1), failed to exert consistent pressure. Shoaib Bashir and Chris Woakes toiled without success, as the pitch flattened out and the Indian pair cashed in.
At stumps, India are firmly in control, having set the tone with a near-perfect day with the bat. England will need something special on Day 2 to claw their way back into the contest.
For England, skipper Ben Stokes (2/43) took two wickets.
