India had a great opening day of the five-Test series against England at Leeds. They lost the toss and were inserted into bat and then dominated the entire day. One of the main reasons why they are in a dominant position is because of the innings played by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Yashasvi Jaiswal played the new ball carefully and then opened up later on to score a dominant hundred.
Put into bat first, Yashasvi Jaiswal built a solid foundation with his opening partner KL Rahul. They played the first session watchfully with Jaiswal leaving balls outside off and playing the bowling to the merit. KL Rahul departed after scoring 42 in a 91-run opening stand and then Sai Sudharsan on debut fell for a duck. But Jaiswal then built a wonderful 129-run stand with Shubman Gill off 163 balls before falling for 101. He laid the platform for Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant to drive home the advantage to make it India’s day at Leeds.
Yashasvi Jaiswal nullified the new ball to power India forward.Â
Put into bat first on a green pitch but on a sunny morning, it was important for Indian openers to lay a solid foundation for the batters to follow. The new ball was swinging a little bit and that kept the English bowlers interested. Yashasvi Jaiswal came into this game not in the best of forms in the clashes against England Lions. But he showed tremendous application especially in the first session. He left balls outside off-stump really well but was not ready to just leave the balls.
Whenever Yashasvi Jaiswal got half volleys and loose balls which were coming from the inexperienced English bowlers, he put them away with ease. He had a positive attitude. KL Rahul supported him by scoring 42 off 78 balls before playing a loose shot to get out to end the 91-run stand. Sai Sudharsan went for a duck on debut to leave India at 92/2 at Lunch.
It was important for Jaiswal to reset and begin well after Lunch. He was joined by his captain Shubman Gill who began his innings on a positive note. Jaiswal went through the gears and shifted it when the loose balls were bowled to him. He played the cut shots really well and built up a crucial 129-run stand with Shubman Gill. Jaiswal suffered from cramps in his hand towards the end of the afternoon session but battled through it to complete another majestic Test ton.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s first hundred in his first Test in England. That laid the foundation for India to post a big score on Day 1. He was dismissed after Tea to Ben Stokes but his innings of 101 off 150 balls allowed Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant to build an unbeaten 138 run stand with Gill completing his first hundred in SENA countries and Pant remaining unbeaten on 65*.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: The Rising Star of India in Test CricketÂ
Yashasvi Jaiswal is the next big superstar with a lot of potential in all three formats of the game. But more so in Test cricket where he has taken cricket like a fish to water. He made his Test debut in 2023 and scored a Test hundred on debut against the West Indies in Dominica.
Yashasvi did not stop there in this red ball format. He went to Australia in the latter part of 2024 and scored a majestic 161 against Australia in Perth in the first Test match, the only Test that India won. Remember, he got out for a duck in the first innings. He carried that forward with a couple of 80s in the latter part of the series but missed out on a century.
Let’s not forget the 2024 home series that he had against England. India won the series 4-1 with Jaiswal starring with the bat scoring over 700 runs which included two double tons against England. He had a dream series against the Three Lions in early 2024.
Yashasvi Jaiswal scored double tons in Vizag and Rajkot and was one of the main reasons that India won the series 4-1. He now scored his first Test hundred in England in his very first innings on English soil. Within two years, he is the mainstay of the Indian batting and a key player.
With the retirement of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket, Jaiswal is now one of the key batters in the Indian side in what will be a tough transition phase for India. He will be expected to carry the mantle of the Indian batting for the next few years especially in Tests. He has not got much opportunities in white ball cricket apart from IPL, but he has the game to shine through in white ball cricket as well. But Test is the ultimate format and he is acing it at the moment.
What Lies Ahead
Yashasvi Jaiswal will want to cash in on the good start that he has had on the tour. He will want to have a bumper series and be consistent and not taper off. It is a long 5-match series and he will want to make a mark in England. Coming back to the game after Day 1, India are in a dominant position with the score reading 359/3 in 85 overs with Shubman Gill batting on 127* while Rishabh Pant is batting on 65*.
India will look to drive home the advantage and start well today. The aim for India with wickets in hand should be to get to 500+ from here. England, on the other hand, will want to bowl and plan better and bowl the right lines and lengths to roar back in the Test match and keep India down under 450.
The first day was great from India’s point of view, but everyday is a new day and it allows the teams to come back in the game. Day 2 promises to be an intriguing battle and we shall wait and see who holds the upper hand at the end of the day’s play.