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The Day 1 of the England–India Headingley Test saw a dominant performance from a new-look Indian side, led by Shubman Gill. Their strong showing, including centuries from Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, prompted an hilarious exchange between cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, with Ganguly making a bold prediction for Day 2.
India’s strong start against England in the Headingley Test
Gill, at just 25 years and 285 days, etched his name in history by becoming the fifth Indian, after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Virat Kohli, to score a century in his maiden innings as Test captain. His unbeaten 127 off 175 balls was a testament to his burgeoning authority and composure under pressure, especially given the intense scrutiny following his appointment as India’s 37th Test captain. This knock, his sixth Test century overall and third against England, also marked his first Test hundred outside of Asia, silencing critics who questioned his overseas batting record. Gill’s partnership with Jaiswal, adding 129 runs for the third wicket, rescued India from a brief wobble at 92/2 and set the tone for their dominant display. He also surpassed 2,000 Test runs during his innings, further solidifying his place in the team.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brilliant 101 off 159 balls was his fifth Test century and third against England. What makes this century particularly remarkable is that Jaiswal became the first visiting batter in the history of Test cricket to score centuries in his maiden Test in both England and Australia. Having already scored 161 in his first Test in Australia (Perth) during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, his Headingley ton further underscores his exceptional talent and adaptability. Despite battling cramps in both hands, Jaiswal displayed remarkable resilience and aggressive intent, dismantling the English attack.
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Sachin Tendulkar thrilled by India’s edge as Sourav Ganguly makes big Day 2 call
This batting display brought back memories for Tendulkar, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to compare it to India’s memorable 2002 Headingley Test victory, where he, Ganguly and Rahul Dravid all scored centuries. Tendulkar posed the question, “Who will be the third centurion this time?,”
A solid foundation laid by @klrahul and @ybj_19 enabled India to have a good day. Congratulations to Yashasvi and @ShubmanGill for their brilliant centuries. @RishabhPant17’s contribution was equally important for the team.
India’s batting today reminded me of the Headingley…
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 20, 2025
Responding to Tendulkar’s post, Ganguly made a bold prediction, suggesting there could be ‘4,’ centurions this time. He specifically named Rishabh Pant, who is just 35 runs short of his century, and Karun Nair, who is slated to bat at number six.
Hi Champ .. this time it could be 4 .. on this good surface .. pant and may be karun .. the surface on day 1 in 2002 .. was a bit different then this ..
— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) June 20, 2025
This match will mark a significant comeback for Karun , who is playing his first Test since March 2017, ending a long wait of over eight years. His last Test appearance was against Australia in Dharamsala in March 2017. On the bowling front for England, Ben Stokes was the most successful, picking up 2 wickets for 43 runs in 13 overs, dismissing both Jaiswal and debutant Sai Sudharsan. Brydon Carse claimed the wicket of KL Rahul.
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