Leeds, (UNI) Indian batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill etched their names into the record books on Friday as both scored centuries on the opening day of the first Test against England at Headingley, propelling India to a commanding 359 for three at stumps.
In doing so, the duo became only the third Indian pair to register hundreds on the first day of an overseas Test tour – a feat previously achieved by Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag against South Africa in Bloemfontein in 2001, and Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2017.
Jaiswal, who remained unbeaten at the close, carried on his rich vein of form with a century that combined composure with aggression. Captain Gill, meanwhile, celebrated his maiden Test innings as skipper with a masterful 127*, becoming the fourth Indian to score a century on captaincy debut after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, and Virat Kohli.
India’s total of 359/3 also marked one of their highest opening-day scores on a tour, joining an elite list that includes 399/3 vs Sri Lanka at Galle (2017), 372/7 vs South Africa at Bloemfontein (2001), 356/2 vs Pakistan at Multan (2004), and 302/4 vs West Indies at North Sound (2016).
The strong start has given India early ascendancy in the five-match series, with England’s bowlers struggling to extract much from a docile Headingley pitch under bright skies.
