New Delhi: A lot of enthusiasm and anticipation was palpable as the first test series between India and England got underway at Headingley in Leeds, marking the beginning of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) for both nations.
India envisioned a new era under the leadership of Shubman Gill, following the startling retirements of test veterans, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. England has followed through with Ben Stokes, the Clutch Lord himself making a comeback to cricket after a break.
Both teams decided to wear black bands to honour the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash.
Anderson-Tendulkar trophy (previously known as Pataudi Trophy) is the 37th series between India and England. India has won 12 and England 19, with five ending in a draw. England has stayed ahead with 51 wins in a total of 136 tests between the two countries.
First Session at Headingley
The toss favoured England as they decided to bowl first, with the left-handed batter Yashasvi Jaiswal opening alongside K.L. Rahul who marked his return to the pitch.
The first over started off with Chris Woakes who returned to action after a while, with Jaiswal on strike. The first delivery was blocked following a few dot balls before Jaiswal broke the loop by hitting a boundary.
Rahul, on the other hand, decided to play it safe, defending cautiously. One of the senior most players in the team, he flicked the ball to the empty region at the off side to a boundary. Both players maintained the spirit of the test format by playing defensively and hitting safe boundaries for the next 20 overs with the partnership standing at 91/0.
The partnership was about to send ripples through the cricketing world, but the breakthrough came with Rahul being dismissed by pacer Brydon Crase, who bowled a fast delivery. Rahul attempted to swing at the ball outside off stump, which resulted in a thick edge to the slips. Ben Stokes rejoiced as the momentum was broken.
Sai Sudharshan marked his much awaited debut with the test cap after setting the T20 stage ablaze, stepping in place of Virat Kohli, the champion who changed the trajectory of the nation in whites. However, hopes were dashed with his early dismissal by the talented all-rounder of the English team. Stokes sent Sudharshan back for a 4-ball duck.
Speaking in the lunch break, Ravi Shastri summed up the mood perfectly: “India will feel they have shared the session but they will be gutted because they really had an opportunity to put some serious pressure on England after lunch, especially with the discipline they showed. Rahul and Jaiswal showed the right mix between caution and aggression, so for England to get two wickets means the session is level.”
Second session at Headingley
Captain Gill walked in to join Jaiswal at the crease following the dismissal of Sudharshan.
Stokes looked on to finish his over. Gill had a composed start as he dabbed one through midwicket to get off the mark. England paid the price for a missed chance and the overthrow added four more as the ball streaked to the fence. Jaiswal soon looked forward to making his first fifty on English soil, and the partnership looked like a game changer.
India played with intent and strategy, with both Gill and Jaiswal hitting safe boundaries and dot balls and soon it was the 39th over with the Indian score at 159-2 (Jaiswal 67, Gill 40).
Post the drink break, Jaiswal started off with an aggressive approach, smashing the England off-spinner Bashir with a boundary at deep backward point.
Gill on the other hand, marked his maiden innings as Test captain with a 56-ball fifty, bringing it up with a commanding pull to midwicket off Tongue.
Jaiswal hit Bashir hard down the ground to make the hundred partnership with Gill, then added two more with a soft touch to deep third. The two had reached triple figures, which was frustrating for England as India got closer to 200.
English pacer Brydon Carse managed to bowl a maiden over, in an attempt to build pressure on the India team and also a rough attempt at a third wicket. But India had shown dominance since lunch and had an upper hand for most of the day.
Jaiswal was clearly in pain because his forearm was cramping up, but he didn’t let it stop him. He hit three great boundaries through the off-side off Carse, then pushed a single and started to celebrate in the middle of the run. He had scored his fifth Test century, and his third against England in style, off 144 balls.
Two straight boundaries, one of which was a blazing cover drive, set it up. Jaiswal was making a statement with that single. He took off his helmet, raised his arms, and let out a roar that showed how far he has come.
In the last session at Headingley, India’s dominance had England in a chokehold, with no room to breathe, just as a breakthrough was needed at that moment.
Stokes struck his first over. He came around the wicket and threw a ball that wasn’t quite full enough to drive, but Jaiswal went for it anyway. He got hit on the edge, and his off-stump went flying. The momentum had broken and English players rejoiced as they gauged the value of the seemingly desperate moment.
Rishabh Pant walked in at four, making an instant impact as he launched the second ball over the boundary. Stokes, unable to hold himself together, laughed at the young Indian wicket keeping batsman as he was in utter disbelief of the short, said to be quite early in the innings. The Pant-Gill duo played with measured intent for the next couple of overs as they absorbed dot balls and showed no urgency.
It is the 72nd over with the score standing at 284-3 for India (Pant 30, Gill 93).
Pant, who had been itching to hit a boundary, did so, finding it through midwicket off Bashir. Gill moved closer to his century with a well-timed boundary, sending a delivery from Tongue through the empty deep third region to 97. But as he got closer to the big day, he started to show signs of being nervous.
Pant on strike went fine, delicately sweeping Bashir behind square on the leg side for four. He then ventured forward and launched a six down the ground bringing the score 300 for India.
Gill set the tone for a promising new era under his leadership as he smashed a fuller delivery from Tongue through the covers for four. The Indian skipper made a century, marking his maiden Test as captain in style.
In the 77th over, the partnership between Gill and Pant saw a 100 off 146 balls. England was in desperate need of another breakthrough. Both players stepped in playing defence for the next few balls before Tongue was smashed through the covers for four. Pant kept up his usual shenanigans, toe-ending a shot that crawled past mid-on and reached the fence.
Pant dropped to one knee and tried to smack it over square leg. That brought the bold young batsman, who posed a threat to the English attack, to 3,000 Test runs. At this time, the score stood at 359-3 for India.
Gill finished on 127, while Pant finished undefeated on 65.
Sana Cheryl Felix is an intern who graduated from ThePrint School of Journalism
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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