London: Yashasvi Jaiswal cracked a century in the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds on Friday to put India on top on the opening day of the five-match series.
After the visitors were asked to bat first on a decent track, the Indian batters made England captain Ben Stokes pay for his unexpected decision after winning the toss.
The left-right combination of Yashasvi and KL Rahul got India off to a cracking start with a 91-run opening partnership. Rahul’s promising knock of 42, full of stylish offside strokes, ended when he edged an intended drive to Joe Root at first slip.
The talented Sai Sudharshan, who became India’s 317th Test player, had the misfortune of being dismissed for a duck in his debut innings. It was a soft dismissal as the left-hander flicked one from Stokes down the legside to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
From 92/2 at lunch, India motored along in the second session as Jaiswal and new skipper Shubman Gill took a heavy toll of the inexperienced English attack.
Jaiswal smacked 16 fours and a six on way to his fifth Test century, off 144 balls.
Having amassed 712 runs, including two double hundreds, in the home series against England last year, Jaiswal has once again sounded a warning for Stokes & Co. The 22-year-old opener and Gill 129 runs for the third wicket before Jaiswal was cleaned up by a beauty from Stokes.
Gill, at the other end, was class personified. His silken drives, square drives and pulls took him past 50 in no time.
He was unbeaten on 67 and Rishabh Pant was on 6 as India reached 231/3 half an hour after tea.
