The highly-anticipated five-match Test series between India and England kicked off on June 20th (Friday) at the iconic Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds. England's captain, Ben Stokes, won the toss and invited India to bat first, setting the stage for a thrilling contest. All eyes were on Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for a stellar performance.
Exceeding expectations, Yashasvi delivered a masterful innings, crafting his century with finesse through 16 boundaries and a towering six, bringing up his hundred off just 144 balls. This was Yashasvi's fifth century in his glittering Test career. During India's first innings, it was the 49th over when he elegantly directed Brydon Carse's fourth and fifth deliveries for consecutive fours, finally reaching his century with a single on the last ball. Overall, he faced 159 balls and crafted 101 runs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has etched his name in history as the first Indian opener to score a century in Test cricket at Headingley Cricket Ground. He is among only five Indian batsmen to achieve a century in their first Test innings in England. Prior to Yashasvi, legends like Murali Vijay, Vijay Manjrekar, Sourav Ganguly, and Sandeep Patil accomplished this rare feat.
Despite being struck with cramps during this magnificent innings, Jaiswal remained unfazed. The physio applied an ice pack to his right arm and massaged his left, causing the game to halt twice. Nonetheless, he continued to bat valiantly. Interestingly, a similar situation occurred during the Visakhapatnam Test match against England last year, where he battled right-hand cramps yet managed to score a double century.
146
Murali Vijay, Trent Bridge 2014
133
Vijay Manjrekar, Leeds 1952
131
Sourav Ganguly, Lord's 1996
129*
Sandeep Patil, Old Trafford 1982
100*
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Leeds 2025
Third Century Against England
In his illustrious Test career, the left-handed batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal has played against five nations, scoring 50 or more in his debut Test innings in four of these countries. At the age of 23, he is playing his 20th Test match, and out of the five centuries he has crafted, three have been against England, with the remainder scored against Australia and the West Indies.
