Headingley is a beautiful conglomeration of the old and the new. Since the turn of the 20th century, this historic homeground of the Yorkshire cricket team has experienced the ebbs and flows of some memorable Test matches. On a sun-soaked Friday afternoon, a packed house, which included the likes of the legendary Dickie Bird and Geoffrey Boycott among others, enjoyed the emergence of an Indian team that’s ready to carve a new path without trashing the old rulebook.Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have worked their way into stardom territory for a while now. But grinding out tough runs on a first-day Headingley pitch can help a cricketer take the first steps towards greatness, and the massively talented India duo wasn’t ready to let the chance pass. While Jaiswal’s fifth Test century with a quickly taken single just before tea helped him complete the feat in his first chance in the country, Gill’s sixth was a terrific mix of style and caution.
Gill became only the fourth Indian to score a century in his maiden Test innings as captain. The twin tons helped India to build a solid platform of 359-3 at stumps, which should allow them to control the Test match from here on.Strong start at long last India have struggled with their opening partnerships in the last two Test series, but Friday was Jaiswal and his partner KL Rahul’s turn to get things back in order. England’s opening attack of Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes lacked a bit of teeth, but it needed a lot of mental discipline to survive the first hour on a pitch that had a bit of grass on it. There was no rush in the approach of Jaiswal and Rahul. They were ready to be patient and leave a lot of deliveries outside the off-stump. It’s all the more creditable because last month around this time, both were fighting hard to take their IPL franchises to the playoffs.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? There was hardly a false shot during the course of their 24.5-over vigil, but that doesn’t mean that Rahul and Jaiswal were merely playing for survival. The occasional loose ball was promptly dealt with and the 91-run partnership was just the start India were looking for. Rahul (42), though, will probably rue the drive that he tried close to lunch off a full Carse delivery to give a catch at first slip. The only disappointment for India on the day was debutant Sai Sudharsan, batting at No. 3, getting caught behind down leg for a duck. The dismissal came close to lunch, and England sniffed blood. But then Gill walked in.Captain takes charge As a few clouds started hovering above Headingley at the beginning of the second session, the four-pronged English pace attack might have harboured hopes of a change in fortunes. But Gill (batting on 127) and Jaiswal (101) were absolutely flawless during the course of the two-hour session. Gill, in his previous exploits in England, had often been dismissed in his attempt to play away from the body or across the line early on in his innings. On Friday, the new king of Indian cricket was determined that he would not repeat the mistakes.
The England attack did make the mistake of bowling on both sides of the wicket, but there was class and discipline written all over Gill’s effort. Some of Gill’s trademark off-side punches, with the bat coming down straight, were an absolute treat to watch. Jaiswal, at the other end, kept closing in on his century. Into his 90s, cramps in his arms could have affected the left-hander but he showed resolve to battle through the difficult phase. The celebration — a mixture of joy and relief — showed how much it meant for the young man. Jaiswal was finally dismissed by a Ben Stokes beauty that left the left-hander after pitching, but the 129-run partnership had allowed India to go into cruise mode by then. With the pitch completely easing out and the ball getting older, Gill and Rishabh Pant (65 batting), walking in at No. 5, didn’t have much difficulty in piling on England’s woes. Gill completed his ton with an off-drive and with the bowlers tiring, it was his turn to put his white-ball cap on. The adventurous cross-bat shots that make Gill such a threat were on display as England stared at a long grind to make a match of it over the next four days.
