NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill began his tenure as India’s Test captain with a brilliant unbeaten century, following a composed ton by Yashasvi Jaiswal, as India took control on Day 1 of the opening Test against England at Headingley on Friday.After being put into bat by England skipper Ben Stokes, India closed the day in a dominant position at 359 for 3 in this five-Test series opener.Gill remained unbeaten on 127 at stumps, having forged a crucial 129-run partnership for the third wicket with Jaiswal, who was dismissed for 101 shortly after tea.Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant added late momentum with a typically aggressive knock, finishing the day on 65 not out. His innings included a remarkable swatted six off Chris Woakes in the final over of the day, as he and his new captain stitched an unbroken 138-run stand to further dent England’s hopes.Former England pacer Stuart Broad criticised the home team’s bowling effort, suggesting they failed to execute their plans properly.“It didn’t feel like the England bowlers fully executed their plans. I don’t think they got it quite right — but that doesn’t mean they can’t do so this morning and turn the game around,” Broad told Sky Sports Cricket.“I think when the bowlers went full, they went a bit too full. And I feel England could have used a straighter field — maybe a straight mid-off, a straight mid-on, and an extra cover instead of a backward point. To me, backward point only comes into play if the ball is hit directly at it. Anywhere either side, and it’s four. So I’d say, get rid of the backward point, bring in an extra cover, and encourage the batters to play with a straighter bat, especially if you’re bowling that slightly fuller length,” he explained.
Stokes’ decision to bowl first may have been influenced by the fact that the last six Tests at Headingley were all won by teams batting second. However, with veteran pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad retired, and both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood sidelined due to injury, England’s attack struggled on a pitch that offered little help under increasingly bright skies.Woakes, recalled in place of the injured Gus Atkinson, took the new ball but went wicketless in his 19 overs, conceding 89 runs. Stokes was the most successful bowler on the day, finishing with figures of 2 for 43 from 13 overs.
