India’s tour of England got off to a blistering start as the visitors posted a commanding 359 for 3 on Day 1 of the first Test at Headingley, rewriting the record books and setting the tone for a potentially historic series.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant led the charge with standout performances that not only put India in a strong position but also marked personal and national milestones.
Jaiswal scored a fluent 101, becoming the first Indian opener to register a Test century at Headingley. The 22-year-old also etched his name in history as the first left-handed Indian opener to score a Test hundred in England—something even the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir never achieved.
His century also elevated him to a rarefied statistical milestone. With 813 runs in 10 Test innings against England at an average of 90.33, Jaiswal now holds the highest Test batting average against England (minimum 500 runs), surpassing the legendary Don Bradman’s 89.78. No batter in the history of the game has maintained such a remarkable average against England over a substantial number of innings.
India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill, produced a captain’s knock, finishing the day unbeaten on 127. He became only the fifth Indian skipper to score a century on Test captaincy debut, joining the ranks of Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Virat Kohli. His composed innings anchored India’s day and underlined a seamless leadership transition.
Rishabh Pant added the final flourish with a quickfire 65 not out. In doing so, the wicketkeeper-batter surpassed 1,732 Test runs in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries, making him the highest-scoring Asian wicketkeeper in those conditions. His aggressive lower-order batting provided India with late momentum.
India’s total of 359 for 3 is now the team’s highest Day 1 score in SENA countries, overtaking the previous mark of 372 for 7 against South Africa at Bloemfontein in 2001. On a placid surface offering little for bowlers, India’s top order capitalised on a lacklustre English attack that struggled after an early breakthrough.
As India heads into Day 2 firmly in control, the Test has already signalled the dawn of a new era—defined by a young captain, record-breaking performances, and a batting lineup asserting its dominance on foreign soil.
