ENG vs IND, 2025, 1st Test, Day 1: Jaiswal’s 101, Gill’s 127* put India in command

ENG vs IND, 1st Test Day 1, Highlights: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill tons power Team India to commanding position at the stumps on Day 1.

Brief Scores: India 359/3 (Shubman Gill 127*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 101, Ben Stokes 2/43) vs England at Stumps on Day 1. 

After their respective failures in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, India and England started the fourth cycle with fresh excitement. For the tourists, it was the start of a new Test era under young captain Shubman Gill and in the absence of two veterans, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. 

Ben Stokes looked eager to continue their dominance over the Blue Brigade in home Tests. England, on winning the toss, opted to bowl on a dry surface covered with lively green grass. Stokes aimed to take advantage of the early conditions. They showed trust in Ollie Pope at number three as Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse returned to the bowling unit. 

India handed a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan. Karun Nair marked his return to the red-ball side after eight years. They also selected Shardul Thakur as the fourth pacer in the side alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj. 

Let’s take a look at how the three sessions panned out on Day 1 of the ENG vs IND 2025 series: 

England hit back with successive wickets after India’s early dominance
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul respected the new ball in the first half-an-hour before showing their aggression. The latter played the drives deep into his crease. This provided them a great chance to drive the ball with the swing through the square region. Meanwhile, Jaiswal displayed a flurry of drives early in the innings. 

Around 10 minutes before the lunch interval, the 91-run opening stand provided the tourists with a fantastic start to the series. But it didn’t last long. Just when Stokes and his army looked a bit out of plan, India gave them a slight chance. 

After two back-to-back short balls, Brydon Carse invited the drive from Rahul. The Bengaluru-born flashed hard and found Joe Root on 42. A nervous Sudharsan was caught on the leg side for a four-ball duck . Stokes pushed the batter to go for the shot despite keeping a leg gully. India finished the first session at 92/2. 

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Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill’s 123*-run stand take India to 215/2 
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gill carried the team to a safe and dominating position with an unbeaten 123-run stand for the third wicket. It was incredible how both batters, even after a long period of white-ball games, took Test cricket like a fish to water. Gill never looked unsettled in the middle and celebrated a fine half-century. 

One of the exceptional aspects of Jaiswal’s batting was how he would forget the previous delivery and concentrate on the next one. He drove, cut, and punched the balls to celebrate his fiftieth red-ball century. India went to Tea at 215/2. 

Shubman Gill’s 127* carries India to 359/3 at stumps 
Stokes removed centurion Jaiswal straight after the break. But Shubman Gill held his crease. He didn’t play any rash shots and was attentive in leaving the balls outside the off-stump. The new India number four celebrated his sixth red-ball century, which had been fluent and stylish. 

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant played his natural aggressive knock. Their century stand put them in the driver’s seat. England tried various plans besides taking the new ball. However, they failed to break the unbeaten 138-run fourth wicket stand. India finished the opening day with 359/3. 

Read More: ENG vs IND, 2025: Why Headingley is a win toss & field first venue

What to expect on Day 2
Both the overnight batters will look to keep the pressure on the home side. India should plan to tire the bowlers besides putting 500+ on the board. Once they do that, it will be incredibly hard for England to come back in this fixture. 

Statistical Highlights from Eng vs Inda 2025, Day 1: 

• Jaiswal and Rahul’s 91-run stand is the highest Test opening partnership in the first inning by a visiting side at Leeds since 01 September 2012. 
• Rahul and Jaiswal’s Test opening stand of 24.5 overs is the most an opening pair has spent during the first inning at Leeds since 01 Jan 2013. 
• Jaiswal and Rahul celebrated India’s highest opening Test stand (91) in a Test match at Leeds. 
• In terms of India openers’ runs against England in Tests, Jaiswal has sped past former openers Gautam Gambhir (733), Virender Sehwag (735) & Murali Vijay (756).
• Gill has registered his 1st fifty-plus score in Tests in SENA nations, since he made 91 in the iconic Gabba Test in January 2021.
• Jaiswal & Gill have combined to produce the 8th hundred-plus partnership for the third wicket for India against England in England in Tests.
• Jaiswal registered his third Test hundred against England in Tests; it is also his second Test hundred in SENA nations.
• Gill registered his first Test hundred in SENA nations. He has also breached the 2000-run mark in Tests. 
• Gill is the fifth India player to score a Test hundred on captaincy debut. The other four are Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar & Virat Kohli.
• Rishabh Pant is the second India wicketkeeper-batter, after MS Dhoni, to cross the 3000-run mark in Tests.
• Pant overtook MS Dhoni (1731) to become the highest run-scorer in SENA nations, among Asian wicketkeeper-batters.

Read More: What should be India bowlers plan of action against Joe Root?

Top Twitter/X reactions from England vs India, Day 1, Leeds Test

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