ENG Vs IND: Yashasvi Jaiswal Harbingers India's New Test Era With A Century At Headingley

Young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal made a statement with a brilliant and defiant century on day 1 of the opening Test of the five-match series against England at Headingley in Leeds on Friday, June 20.

Jaiswal is on his maiden Test tour of England and his fourth overseas tour after West Indies, South Africa, and Australia. The 23-year-old was composed and resilient despite his hands cramping up during the afternoon session of the opening Day of the Headingley Test. Yet, Yashasvi Jaiswal showcased his grit and determination to carry on his batting and registered his maiden Test century on English soil.

Before the Test series against England, Yashasvi Jaiswal played a couple of unofficial Test matches against England Lions, but had a modest outing, amassing 110 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 27.50 in 4 innings. This raised a bit of concern about his tougher challenge of facing England in the main series on a seam-friendly pitch, where pacers dictate the outcome of the match.

In the opening Test of the series, Jaiswal is more confident and assured in his approach as he blunted England's pace attack led by Chris Woakes with maturity beyond his years.

India's new Test era marked with Jaiswal's century

Yashasvi Jaiswal's maiden Test century on English soil not just marked another significant milestone in his young Test career, but also marked the beginning of a new era in Indian Test cricket. The first Test against England officially ushered India into a new dawn without three stalwarts of Indian cricket - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Rohit and Kohli stepped away from the longest format of the game before the England tour, while Ashwin already called time on his international career midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With the absence of the trio, the young generation of players shoulders the responsibility of shaping India's next red-ball future.

There could not have been a better start to the new era of Indian Test cricket than Yashasvi Jaiswal's commanding century despite battling with a sudden cramp in his hands. The 23-year-old anchored the innings from the start of play with a pose and intent, alongside a steady opening 91-run partnership with KL Rahul, and then a 129-run stand for the third wicket with Shubman Gill.

TON 🆙TAILS 🆙Yashasvi Jaiswal leads Team India from the front. #SonySportsNetwork #GroundTumharaJeetHamari #ENGvIND #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia | @ybj_19 twitter/QX4kdlTBu4

- Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) June 20, 2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal's century in the first innings of the opening Test mirrors his replication of successful Test series in Australia, where he scored a century in the opening match in Perth and went on to finish as India's highest run-getter of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with 391 runs in 10 innings.

The young batter would often display his aggression, which was evident in the Test series against England at home, where he shattered several records, but in Leeds, Jaiswal balanced flair with composure - a trait crucial for longevity in England.

Shubman Gill finds rhythm in Jaiswal's company

Yashasvi Jaiswal's assured presence at the crease helped Shubman Gill bring the best out of him in his maiden outing as a Test captain. Walked in to bat at No.4 after Sai Sudharsan's dismissal, Gill found stability in Jaiswal's company and soon settled into rhythm, matching the opener's temperament with elegant drives and confident footwork against the pace bowling attack.

The pressure of Test captaincy seemed to have little effect on Shubman Gill, who batted with clarity and poise, and Jaiswal's gritty knock from the other end enabled the new No.4 batter to play his natural game, as a duo stitched a crucial 129-run stand for the third wicket to take visitors past the 200-run mark in the first innings.

At the end of session 2, India were 215/2 in 51 overs, with Jaiswal and Gill batting on 100 and 58, respectively. After the Tea break, the pair was hoping to extend their partnership run until Ben Stokes dismissed Jaiswal for 101 soon after, breaking the momentum and giving England a crucial breakthrough in otherwise India's dominant batting.

After Jaiswal's dismissal, Shubman Gill was joined by Rishabh Pant to carry on India's innings. The partnership between the captain and the vice-captain will be crucial to further lay a strong foundation for a commanding first innings total.

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