The five-match Test series between India and England kicked off at Headingley on June 20, and young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has already made a lasting impression.
Batting first, India got off to a solid start, thanks to a dazzling century by Jaiswal — his first on English soil in the longest format.
Jaiswal’s Commanding Century
Displaying remarkable composure and flair, Jaiswal reached his century in just 144 balls, taking on both pace and spin with confidence. At the time of filing this report, he had struck 16 boundaries and 1 six, entertaining the crowd with a display of elegant strokeplay.
This century not only underlines Jaiswal’s adaptability in overseas conditions but also signals his readiness to anchor India’s batting across formats.
Having made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2023, the southpaw has continued to grow in stature with each outing.
With this knock, Jaiswal has now joined an exclusive club of Indian cricketers who have scored a century in their first Test innings in England. He is now the fifth Indian to do so, following in the footsteps of Murali Vijay, Vijay Manjrekar, Sourav Ganguly, and Sandeep Patil.
- A Test hundred in West Indies in his first Test.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 20, 2025
- A Test hundred in Australia in his first Test.
- A Test hundred in England in his first Test.
YASHASVI JAISWAL - THE GENERATIONAL TALENT. 🥶🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/Be1cEWNS3b
Jaiswal also stitched together a crucial 91-run opening partnership with KL Rahul, giving India a strong platform. It is the highest opening stand by an Indian pair at Headingley in Test cricket — a record-breaking start to a promising series.
At the start of the third session on Day 1, India finds itself in a commanding position at 221 for 2 in 52.2 overs, maintaining a strong run rate of 4.22.
The top order has laid a solid foundation, with the batters displaying positive intent and fluency throughout the innings. With wickets in hand and ample time left in the day, India will now look to capitalize on this momentum and post a formidable first-innings total.
