Captain Gill, Jaiswal lead India`s charge with twin tons at Headingley

India seized control of the opening Test against England at Headingley on Friday, courtesy of sublime centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who steered India to a commanding 359/3 at stumps on Day 1 after being asked to bat first under overcast conditions.

India weathered an early setback but gradually took control of the proceedings, with openers Jaiswal and KL Rahul having stitched a steady 91-run stand. However, England clawed back with two quick wickets just before lunch, Rahul fell for 42, followed closely by debutant B Sai Sudharsan, who was dismissed without scoring.

With India briefly unsettled at 92/2, the onus fell on Jaiswal and the newly appointed Test captain, Gill, to steady the innings. The duo responded in authoritative fashion, stitching together a vital 129-run partnership for the third wicket.

Jaiswal continued his fine red-ball form, reaching his fifth Test hundred with a crisp single just before the tea interval. His 144-ball effort included 16 boundaries and a towering six, underlining his ability to score freely across the field. His innings came to an end shortly after the break, but not before laying a solid platform for the middle order.

Gill, on the other hand, grew in confidence as the innings progressed. Batting with admirable poise and determination, he brought up his sixth Test century and his first as captain in the final session. His unbeaten 127 was a display of textbook stroke-making, laced with classy drives and clever rotation of strike.

By reaching the three-figure mark in his maiden Test as skipper, Gill joined an elite group of Indian captains, Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Virat Kohli, who also scored centuries in their first outing as Test leaders.

Rishabh Pant, coming in at No. 5, provided further momentum to the innings with a typically attacking knock. Unbeaten on 65 at stumps, Pant looked in sublime touch, finding gaps with ease and rotating the strike fluently in his partnership with Gill.

For England, captain Ben Stokes was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 2 for 43, while Brydon Carse took one wicket but proved expensive.

Brief scores: India 359/3 in 85 overs (Shubman Gill 127*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 101, Rishabh Pant 65*; Ben Stokes 2/43, Brydon Carse 1/70)

This article first appeared on Mid Day