Under bright yet shifting skies at Headingley, India’s young batting stars marked a dominant beginning to the newly-instituted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with commanding centuries from Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal setting the tone on Day One.
Sent in to bat first, India closed the day in a commanding position at 359 for 3 in 85 overs, with Gill unbeaten on 127 and vice-captain Rishabh Pant not out on 65.
Jaiswal, playing his first Test innings on English soil, compiled a fluent 101 off 157 deliveries, registering his fifth overall Test century and third against England. His innings was defined by precise strokeplay, particularly through the off-side, as he drove and cut with authority.
Gill, leading India for the first time in Test cricket, displayed composure and aggression in equal measure, becoming the fifth Indian captain to score a hundred on debut as skipper. His 127 not out came off 175 balls and included some masterful stroke-making, particularly through the leg-side.
The pair added 129 runs for the third wicket after the early dismissals of KL Rahul and debutant B Sai Sudharsan briefly gave England a foothold.
Rahul, who began confidently with crisp cover drives, fell for 39 after edging a wide outswinger from Carse, ending a 91-run opening stand. Sudharsan, facing a tough introduction to Test cricket, was dismissed for a four-ball duck, caught behind off Stokes after a nervy start.
However, the second session belonged entirely to India as Gill and Jaiswal rebuilt with purpose and flair. The softness of the Dukes ball and a lack of penetration from England’s bowlers allowed the batters to rotate strike and punish loose deliveries. Gill brought up his half-century with a boundary through mid-wicket, while Jaiswal reached his own milestone with a single through point before raising his bat to a warm ovation.
Jaiswal’s knock ended after tea when Stokes found an angle from wide of the crease to hit the top of off-stump, but India continued to dominate.
Pant walked in and signalled his intent, mixing power and innovation in his unbeaten 65, which took him past 3,000 Test runs. Together, Gill and Pant added an unbroken 138 runs in the final session, frustrating England’s attack which struggled to make any breakthroughs.
England’s bowling lacked consistency throughout the day, with only Stokes providing some control and picking up two wickets. Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, and Brydon Carse failed to trouble the Indian batters consistently, while debutant Shoaib Bashir showed glimpses of promise with some variation and turn.
Gill reached his century with a signature cover drive, celebrating animatedly as he notched just his second Test hundred outside India.
Pant’s half-century came in typically unorthodox fashion with an inside edge, and he followed it up with a series of aggressive strokes, including a six down the ground. As the day ended, India firmly held the advantage, with two centurions and a powerful vice-captain’s innings placing them in complete control at the close of play.
