India's dominant performance on the first day of the first Test against England at Headingley has sent waves of excitement through the cricketing world, with legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly leading the chorus of praise. The dynamic batting display, highlighted by centuries from Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, evoked memories of India's iconic 2002 Headingley Test victory.
Sachin Tendulkar took to social media to express his delight, drawing parallels between the current team's performance and the 2002 Test where he, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid all scored centuries in the first innings. He lauded the "solid foundation" laid by KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and congratulated Gill and Jaiswal for their "brilliant centuries." Tendulkar also acknowledged Rishabh Pant's important contribution and playfully wondered who would be the third centurion this time around, hinting at the possibility of history repeating itself.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's innings was particularly special, as he became the first Asian opener to score a Test hundred at Headingley. His innings of 101 runs off 159 deliveries was laced with 16 fours and one six, showcasing his aggressive yet composed approach. He also achieved a unique feat by becoming the first Indian batter to score a century in his first Test in both England and Australia, having previously scored a brilliant 161 in Perth in November 2024.
Shubman Gill, in his first Test as captain, led from the front with an elegant unbeaten century. His knock of 127 off 175 deliveries was marked by exquisite timing and placement, including 16 boundaries and one six. Gill became only the fifth Indian batter to score a century in his first Test as captain, joining an elite list featuring Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Virat Kohli.
Sourav Ganguly responded to Tendulkar's post with a "fun twist," predicting that India could score four centuries in the innings. He suggested that Rishabh Pant, who remained unbeaten at 65 at the end of the day's play, and Karun Nair, playing his first Test since March 2017, could reach the three-figure mark. Ganguly believes that the Headingley surface is conducive to batting, unlike the 2002 pitch.
The strong start by India has not only pleased fans and experts but also rewritten several records. Gill and Jaiswal's centuries marked only the third instance in Indian Test history where two batters scored centuries on Day 1 of an overseas tour. This feat was previously achieved by Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag against South Africa in 2001, and by Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara against Sri Lanka in 2017. India's total of 359/3 at the end of the day was also the third-highest first-day score by an Indian team at the start of an overseas tour.
The dominant performance has put England on the back foot, with their bowlers struggling to make inroads on a relatively flat pitch. Captain Ben Stokes was the most successful bowler, taking 2 for 43. The stage is now set for India to build on this strong foundation and aim for a big first-innings total, potentially setting up an innings victory. Whether Ganguly's prediction of four centuries comes true remains to be seen, but the Indian batting lineup has certainly signaled its intent to dominate this Test series.
