Leeds, Jun 20 (UNI) Yashasvi Jaiswal carved his name into the cricketing record books on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley, striking a magnificent unbeaten century to guide India to a commanding 215 for 2 at Tea Friday.
The 22-year-old opener stood tall with 100 not out, anchoring the innings after early wickets and becoming the first Indian batsman to score centuries on Test debut in both England and Australia.
Jaiswal’s innings was a sublime exhibition of temperament, technique, and timing. He reached the historic three-figure mark in the 49th over of India’s innings, calmly guiding a delivery from Brydon Carse towards point for a single.
He immediately took off his helmet and let out a celebratory roar, soaking in the applause from the dressing room and the Headingley crowd. The milestone came after he had moved from 91 to 99 with back-to-back boundaries off Carse — first a fierce cut past backward point, followed by a sumptuous cover drive that pierced the infield.
The left-hander’s composed knock came off 155 balls and included 16 boundaries and a six. His hundred adds to his memorable 171 on debut in Australia during the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, reinforcing his growing stature as a dependable top-order mainstay and a player for big occasions.
With this innings, Jaiswal also joined a rare club of only five players in Test history to score debut centuries in both England and Australia — a list that includes legends such as Gordon Greenidge and Andrew Strauss.
In the Indian context, Jaiswal became only the fifth batsman to score a hundred in his maiden Test innings in England. He now stands alongside Murali Vijay (146 at Trent Bridge, 2014), Vijay Manjrekar (133 at Headingley, 1952), Sourav Ganguly (131 at Lord’s, 1996), and Sandeep Patil (129* at Old Trafford, 1982) — a testament to his poise and class.
India had made a cautious start in the morning after being put into bat, reaching 44 without loss at the first drinks break. However, England struck twice before lunch. KL Rahul (42) was the first to go, trapped LBW by Chris Woakes in the 13th over. Sai Sudarshan (0) fell soon after, caught behind, leaving India at 92 for 2.
Jaiswal, who had looked solid from the outset, found a reliable partner in Shubman Gill, and the pair stabilised the innings with an assured stand.
The third-wicket partnership flourished through the second session, with Gill playing a fluent unbeaten knock of 58 , including eight boundaries. The duo added century-run partnership for the third wicket, maintaining a healthy run rate and frustrating the English attack on a pitch offering some seam movement.
Jaiswal reached his half-century off 96 balls and shifted gears with confidence as he approached the century mark. Despite showing signs of fatigue and battling cramps towards the tea interval, he remained unfazed, rotating strike and pouncing on anything loose.
England, for their part, were disciplined but lacked penetration in the post-lunch session. A moment of additional drama came in the 51st over, when India were awarded five penalty runs after the ball struck the helmet placed behind the wicketkeeper — a costly lapse in concentration from the hosts. That over, bowled by Ben Stokes, also included a no-ball, resulting in an unusual seven-ball over, called by umpire CB Gaffaney.
By Tea, India had not only weathered the early blows but taken firm control of the game. Jaiswal’s century and his blossoming partnership with Gill laid the foundation for a big first innings total as the visitors look to gain an early control in the five-match series.
Score at Tea: India 215/2 in 51 overs (Jaiswal 100*, Gill 58*) UNI BDN SSP