Gill launches India captaincy in style
'It was very, very good and we all did well today,' Jaiswal told Sky Sports after the close as he hailed Gill's innings by saying: 'He played amazingly. He was very composed and calm all the time.' This was a chastening start to the new World Test Championship cycle for England following South Africa's victory over Australia in last week's final at Lord's. 'It was a tough day,' said England bowling coach Tim Southee. 'We will come back tomorrow and try to make some inroads.'
The former New Zealand paceman added: 'The openers did well early on, particularly Rahul....There were two great knocks, Jaiswal and Pant are class players.' Concerns had been expressed before the series about how India would cope in England without Rohit Sharma, Gill's predecessor as captain, and Virat Kohli after the two star batsmen retired from Test duty within days of each other last month. Yet such is the depth of talent in cricket-obsessed India, quality replacements were always likely to be available.
Stokes' decision to field may have been influenced by the fact the last six Tests at Headingley have been won by the team batting second. But England, without retired greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad and missing injured express quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, rarely threatened on a good batting pitch under increasingly sunny skies. Woakes was given the new ball after returning in place of the injured Gus Atkinson but his 19 wicketless overs cost 89 runs, with all-rounder Stokes' 2-43 in 13 making him the pick of England's attack.
Sublime stroke-play
Jaiswal and opening partner KL Rahul got India off to a fine start in their quest for just a fourth Test series win in England after triumphs in 1971, 1986 and 2007. England, however, enjoyed a double strike shortly before lunch as 91-0 was transformed into 92-2. Rahul (42) carelessly edged a wide ball from Brydon Carse to Joe Root at first slip before Sai Sudharsan fell for a duck on Test debut when caught down the legside by diving wicketkeeper Jamie Smith off Stokes. But India's third-wicket duo regained the initiative with sublime stroke-play.
Stokes brought on Shoaib Bashir to add variety but the off-spinner's first ball was cuffed for four by left-hander Jaiswal, who went to 99 with two superb boundaries off Carse. A quick single took an elated Jaiswal to a 144-ball hundred, including 16 fours, as he completed his fifth century in 20 Tests and third against England. It also meant the 23-year-old had scored hundreds on his Test debut, his first Test in Australia and first in England. Jaiswal, however, was out when bowled by a fine Stokes delivery from around the wicket that angled in and held its line. Pant, however, thumped Stokes back over his head for four off just his second ball.
The 25-year-old Gill completed his century with a superb cover-driven four off fast bowler Josh Tongue, his 14th boundary in 140 balls faced. As he admired the shot, Gill ripped off his helmet in celebration of his sixth hundred in 33 Tests and third against England. Gill later pulled Tongue over Bashir's head at fine leg for six and was just shy of his highest Test score of 128 at stumps. Before play both teams and the match officials observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed all but one of 242 people on board.— AFP
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