India Dominates Day 1 of Test Match Against England at Headingley
India's Strong Start in the First Test
Leeds [UK], June 21: Tim Southee, the bowling coach for England, commended the impressive depth and skill of the Indian Test team following their dominant display on the opening day of the first Test at Headingley.
By the end of the day, India had established a commanding score of 359 for 3, driven by exceptional performances from captain Shubman Gill, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and vice-captain Rishabh Pant.
“The quality of the Indian team, regardless of their experience, remains consistently high. They are undoubtedly talented players,” Southee remarked.
He specifically highlighted the contributions of Jaiswal and Gill, who were instrumental in setting a solid foundation for India.
“Jaiswal has made a remarkable start to his Test career early on, and Shubman Gill, in his debut match as captain, delivered an impressive innings,” Southee noted.
“The Indian openers managed the initial hour effectively, with KL Rahul leaving balls wisely and Yashasvi Jaiswal playing assertively throughout,” he added.
Southee also acknowledged England's Test captain Ben Stokes, calling him an X-factor for his team.
“Ben Stokes is a genuine X-factor player, and we witnessed that today with a couple of key breakthroughs he achieved. When he’s in form, it’s challenging to take the ball away from him,” Tim Southee stated.
Jaiswal set the pace with a brilliant 101 runs off 159 balls, including sixteen boundaries and a six. Gill then took charge with a captain's innings, showcasing maturity and composure in his unbeaten 127 runs.
The elegant right-hander hit sixteen fours and a six during his 175-ball innings, leading India to their highest first-day total in a Test match on English soil. Pant supported his captain with an unbeaten 65 runs from 102 balls.
Pant's innings featured six fours and two impressive sixes, as he appeared fully in control alongside Gill in their unbroken partnership of 138 runs.
With this performance, Gill surpassed the 2,000-run milestone in Test cricket, while Pant crossed the 3,000-run mark.