Solid session for India as Jaiswal, Gill take score to 215/2 at tea

India ended the second session of the opening Test against England in a commanding position, reaching 215 for two at tea on Day 1 at Headingley on Friday. Yashasvi Jaiswal stood tall with a brilliant unbeaten century, while captain Shubman Gill provided valuable support with a composed half-century, as the pair stitched together an unbroken 123-run stand for the third wicket.

Jaiswal, continuing his impressive run in Test cricket, brought up his fifth century in the format with a fluent innings that combined elegance with authority. The 23-year-old left-hander reached the landmark in 144 deliveries, peppering the field with 16 boundaries and a towering six. Displaying superb footwork and timing, Jaiswal was proactive against both pace and spin, regularly rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries.

At the other end, Gill looked equally confident in his first innings as India’s Test captain. Coming in at a crucial juncture after India had lost two wickets in quick succession just before lunch, Gill settled in quickly and played with a blend of caution and flair. He struck seven boundaries in his unbeaten 58 off 74 balls, showing great composure and awareness as he kept the scoreboard ticking and absorbed the pressure effectively.

Earlier in the day, India had made a promising start after electing to bat. Openers KL Rahul and Jaiswal put together a solid 91-run partnership, laying the foundation on what appeared to be a batting-friendly surface. Rahul, in particular, looked assured during his stay at the crease, scoring 42 off 78 balls with eight boundaries before falling in the penultimate over before lunch. He was caught at slip off the bowling of Brydon Carse, who had been probing outside the off stump.

Just five deliveries later, debutant B Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for a duck, edging a leg-side delivery from Ben Stokes to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. The twin blows briefly threatened to derail India’s progress, but the post-lunch session saw Jaiswal and Gill rebuild with calm authority and gradually regain control of the contest.

The Headingley surface has played true so far, offering little assistance to the bowlers. England’s attack struggled to break through in the second session, with Carse and Stokes being the only wicket-takers so far.

Brief Scores (Tea, Day 1): India 215/2 in 51 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 100*; KL Rahul 42, Shubman Gill 58*; Brydon Carse 1/58, Ben Stokes 1/22)

This article first appeared on Mid Day