India silences doubters in style as Shubman Gill’s first Test as captain begins with centuries from himself and Jaiswal, while Pant overtakes Dhoni in SENA records to cap a dominant ‘Bazball’ counterattack.
Breaking records and burying doubts, Shubman Gill-led India turned the tables on England’s Bazball narrative with a scintillating Day 1 at Headingley, piling up 359/3 — their highest-ever score on the opening day of a Test in England. With centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, and a blistering half-century from Rishabh Pant, the young Indian side delivered an emphatic response to critics who had written them off following the retirement of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Young Guns Rise in Absence of Legends
Set against the scenic backdrop of a vocal English crowd at Headingley, the new-look Indian side, helmed by 24-year-old Shubman Gill, defied expectations and pressure to deliver a performance that may go down as a defining day in Indian Test history — depending on how the series unfolds.
With social media rife with pessimism — “India will lose 5-0,” “No Tests without Rohit-Virat,” and “Gill can’t score outside Asia” — the team responded on the field with confidence and class.
KL and Jaiswal Lay the Foundation
After England won the toss and opted to bowl on a 9mm grassy surface, Indian openers KL Rahul (42) and Yashasvi Jaiswal unleashed an onslaught. Their 91-run partnership, decorated with 16 boundaries, became India’s highest-ever opening stand in the first innings of a Test in England. KL’s dismissal by Carse gave England some relief, followed by Ben Stokes sending debutant Sai Sudharsan back for a duck.
Jaiswal’s Elite Entry and Gill’s Redemption
Jaiswal went on to score 101 off 159 balls, his fifth Test century, and joined the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Sachin Tendulkar as Indians who’ve scored tons at Leeds. He now averages 90.33 in 10 innings against England — the highest for anyone with 500+ runs versus them.
Gill, carrying the weight of captaincy and criticism for not scoring outside Asia since 2021, finally shook off the burden with a majestic 127 off 140 balls*. With this, he became the fourth Indian Test captain — after Hazare, Gavaskar, and Kohli — to score a century in the first innings of his captaincy debut, and also crossed 2,000 Test runs just like Kohli did in Adelaide in 2014.
Pant Surpasses Dhoni in SENA, Anchors a New Legacy
After Jaiswal’s dismissal, Rishabh Pant walked in and immediately stamped authority with a four off Stokes. He went on to score 65 off 74 balls*, overtaking MS Dhoni to become the most successful Asian wicketkeeper-batter in SENA countries and the second Indian keeper to reach 3,000 Test runs.
Pant’s current Test stats now read:
- 44 Tests, 3,013 runs, avg 43.04, 6 centuries, 16 fifties
- In SENA: 1,746 runs in 27 matches, avg 38.80
Day Ends with Indian Domination
India closed Day 1 at 359/3, marking their highest-ever Day 1 Test score in England, surpassing 338/7 at Edgbaston (2022). This is also the first instance since 2003 where a visiting team scored more than 350 runs on Day 1 of a Test in England.
The Jaiswal-Gill twin centuries also became only the third such instance for India on Day 1 of a foreign tour — after Sehwag-Tendulkar (2001 vs South Africa) and Dhawan-Pujara (2017 vs Sri Lanka).
India’s scoring rate of 4.22 RPO with 46 fours and 4 sixes mimicked England’s ‘Bazball’ style, and ironically, out-Bazballed the inventors of the term themselves.
Will this statement day lead to a series-defining turnaround? The next four days will reveal whether India sustains the dominance or England pulls off a fightback. But for now, Shubman Gill’s India has spoken. Loud and clear.