Records came tumbling down on the opening day of India’s much-awaited Test series against England at Headingley, as the young generation showed they are ready to carry the weight left behind by legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
300+ runs on the first day of a tour for India
399/3 vs SL Galle 2017372/7 vs SA Bloemfontein 2001359/3 vs Eng Headingley 2025356/2 vs Pak Multan 2004302/4 vs WI North Sound 2016India ended the day at 359 for 3, making it one of their biggest opening-day scores on foreign soil. Only four times before have India crossed 300 runs on Day 1 of a tour — Galle (2017), Bloemfontein (2001), Multan (2004) and North Sound (2016). This strong start once again proves how well India’s top order adapts away from home.A Rare Double Hundred ShowShubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal both scored superb centuries on Day 1. This is only the third time in India’s Test history that two batters have scored hundreds on the very first day of an overseas tour. The last time it happened was in 2017, when Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara did it in Galle, Sri Lanka. Before that, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag had done it in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 2001.
Pant Tops the Keeper ChartsRishabh Pant continued to entertain, finishing unbeaten on 65. With this knock, he has now become the highest run-scorer among Asian wicketkeepers in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia). His total of 1,732 runs puts him ahead of MS Dhoni, who scored 1,731 runs in these regions.
How Day 1 Unfolded
Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping to make the most of helpful early conditions. KL Rahul gave India a solid base with 42, and his partner Jaiswal played some fearless shots to notch up his fifth Test century and his first in England.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? There was a small hiccup when Rahul and debutant Sai Sudharsan fell quickly, but Gill and Pant made sure England did not gain any advantage. Gill, leading India as captain for the first time, batted with calm authority to remain unbeaten on 127 at stumps. Pant, known for his attacking style, ended the day with a towering six off Chris Woakes that summed up India’s dominance. With runs on the board and wickets in hand, India are firmly in control. England, missing big names like James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, had no answers to the confident stroke-play of India’s young batters. Heading into Day 2, India will look to pile up a huge first-innings score and put England under more pressure as the new World Test Championship cycle begins on an exciting note.
