IND vs ENG: InsideSport brings to you the snippets of the major developments that unfolded on the first day of the Headingley Test.
Not many would have expected Team India to be 359/3, after Ben Stokes invited the visitors to bat first on a ‘deadly’ Headingley pitch, that too in overcast conditions. But what transpired on the first day of the opening Test of the IND vs ENG series, is totally different from expectations. A young team without stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, just took the attack to the toothless English bowling, with Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring a ton in his debut innings in the nation, followed by a hundred by skipper in first innings as captain.
That pretty much summed up the Indian day, while the English bowlers felt the heat without their premier fast bowlers. Ben Stokes, with his two wickets tried to bring back the cart on track, but all his efforts were in vain. But let’s start in the ascending order, as to how the day unfolded.
KL Rahul Aces Tough Hours, But Misses 50
And once again, after batting so well, like was the case in Australia, KL Rahul was the first casualty of the morning, when he was dismissed for 42 from 78 deliveries. He looked fluent during his stay at the crease, but he poked at a really wide delivery from Brydon Carse, to be caught in the slips by Joe Root.
What Have You Done Sai Sudharsan?
Sai Sudharsan must be cursing himself after he got out for a duck in the first Test innings. He chased a wide delivery outside off by Stokes, only to edge it, and get caught by keeper Jamie Smith, down the leg side. Patience is the key for any batter, and Sai Su has definitely learned it the hard way.
SENA Master Yashasvi Jaiswal?
Slowly, Yashasvi Jaiswal is turning out to be India’s most dependable batter. After his ton in Australia, the 23-year-old managed to impress with his 101 in his first innings in England. Yes, it wasn’t the most fluent innings, yet effective. He struggled to score runs on the on-side, but more than compensated, with his crafty shots on the off side. All this, when he was suffering major cramps. Now, in 20 Tests, he has 1899 runs at an average of over 54.
One of the highlights of his innings was, the way he communicated with Gill, to avoid any confusion while running-between-wickets. He ended up asking the latter, to say a loud ‘no’, while declining a run. That ploy did work, indeed.
Rishabh Pant’s Antics, 3k Runs & 50
After Jaiswal’s wicket, Rishabh Pant did not want Stokes to have the upper hand, and just on his second delivery, danced down the track to hit the ball over the bowler’s head. That was a signal to the opposition, that he was here for a long haul. With his rather strange ways, he managed to bring up his 16th fifty and also 3000 runs in Test cricket.
Pant achieved the feat in only 76 innings, only slower than Adam Gilchrist (63). That is a significant achievement, since he is only behind MS Dhoni now, in the list of Indian keepers with most Test runs. Not his quintessential fiery innings, but he did end the day with 65 runs.
Player of the Day, Shubman Gill
Let’s be honest. One was just hoping that Gill got a few runs under his belt — this was the only expectation. But then, the newly crowned skipper just showed, he deserves all the accolades. He troubled each and every bowler, hit them for boundaries, and scored at a strike-rate of over 70. His sixth ton meant, India were well on their way to start the series with a win. In his 33rd Test, he reached 2k runs in Test cricket. He remained unbeaten on 127.
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After Australia, Yashasvi Jaiswal aces England Test in 1st attempt with century in IND vs ENG 1st Test
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