Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal usher in new dawn with dazzling display

Yashasvi Jaiswal, in his first Test innings in England, and Shubman Gill, in his first innings as India's Test captain, cruised to individual tons as India put on a strong batting performance on the first day in Headingley. While Jaiswal carried India through the first half, the baton was passed on in the second half where Gill owned the centerstage with an unbeaten 127. Collectively, India's batters won them the honours on the first day, racking up 359/3 and pausing any doubts on the new future.

Hitting his fifth Test ton, Jaiswal put on dazzling partnerships with KL Rahul first and then with Gill. While Jaiswal fell early in the final session after getting his ton, Gill carried on and added with Rishabh Pant making it their day despite being on the wrong side of the call at the toss. While Jaiswal's ton came with a few nervy moments, Gill's flowed more easily with the skipper exuding a sense of control right through. It was the ideal follow-up for the start given by the openers earlier in the day.

England's attempts at taking advantage of the early movement on offer courtesy the moisture played out blandly after a wayward start with the ball was thwarted by Jaiswal and Rahul. The duo started with a bit of caution but were also adept at putting away anything that came in their zone. Jaiswal was tested with the ball moving into his pads a few times but he managed to keep it out. A couple of drives were slashed uppishly through the gully area but the nervous moments were only a few in the first hour.

The eye-catching drives instead peppered the innings. Rahul laced a couple through covers while Jaiswal creamed a few down the ground. India's run-scoring was largely through boundaries with as many as nine coming in the first hour itself. England wasted one review against Jaiswal for and LBW appeal after Josh Tongue, the first-change bowler, struck him from round the wicket. But the angle ensured that the ball was pitching outside leg and taking it further down.

England were also guilty of overpitching often in that first hour and conceding more boundaries as a result. All of this meant that for the first time in the last seven Tests at Headingley, there wasn't a wicket in the first ten overs of the match. But Jaiswal kept them interested with a few plays and misses off attempted cuts. As the session wore on, both batters became more confident in playing the shots. But the consistent movement meant that England's bowlers were never far away.

Jaiswal and Rahul put on a near-perfect session for India before Rahul played one cover drive too many and ended up nicking to first slip with minutes to go for the Lunch break ending a 91-run stand. Carse's breakthrough lifted England's spirits as debutant Sai Sudharsan walked out to accompany Jaiswal who was into the forties. But Sudharsan's debut was a forgettable one as he nicked a delivery down the legside off Stokes to be caught behind for a duck. That double blow ensured that England pulled things back in the nick of time in the first session.

However, post the break, Jaiswal received better support from Gill. The latter came in with a renewed approach to tackle the movement, standing outside the crease. And it helped with his fluency early in the innings. Gill wasted no time in getting the boundaries which kept England pegged back. His fifty came off just 56 balls - his quickest in Test cricket. It allowed Jaiswal to continue at a steady momentum. The southpaw was not without trouble, tested by some short balls in the latter half of the innings. But nevertheless, Jaiswal was quick to keep hitting back with anything in his zone.

He battled with cramps on his right hand en route to the ton but put it behind to bring it up in 144 balls and going through a wicketless second session with Gill. After the break though, Jaiswal was dismissed quickly courtesy Stokes who bowled him for 101 and ending a 129-run stand. Pant, who followed, stepped out second ball to hit Stokes over his head for a boundary to get off the mark. But that tempo was curtailed as he progressed with Gill still retaining his fluency right through. He coasted to his sixth Test ton having left more balls than he had in any previous ton. It also was his first Test ton outside Asia and joined an elite list of Indian captains to get a ton in their first innings in-charge. Joining him in the merry-making was his vice-captain Pant who brought up his fifty and 3000 Test runs whilst toe-ending a slog for a boundary.

The second new ball brought with it some quick runs as India finished the day at a Bazball-esque run-rate of 4.22