Day 1, Headingley(2025)

Day 1 Recap – Headingley Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal is a superstar in the making—no question about it. There’s something quietly intimidating about him at the crease. His balance is impeccable, his composure under pressure is rare for someone so young, and his ability to switch gears between defence and attack is a hallmark of greatness. On Day 1 at Headingley, he once again displayed why he’s a cut above the rest of his generation. Jaiswal brought up his fifth Test century with the kind of assurance that makes it look routine. He capitalised on a solid start and turned it into something commanding, setting the tone for India’s innings.

Backing him up were contributions from KL Rahul (42), Shubman Gill (127), and Rishabh Pant (65). Gill, in his first Test as captain, remained unbeaten at stumps with a century to his name. From the outset, he batted with freedom and intent—striking early boundaries and rotating the strike with ease. This was Gill in full flow, playing with the assurance of a leader ready to make the match a personal milestone. With the pitch easing further, a 150—perhaps even a double-century—is well within reach if he resumes with the same rhythm on Day 2. Together, Jaiswal and Gill ensured England went wicketless through the entire second session.

England, having won the toss and opted to bowl, hoped to exploit the freshness of the wicket. There was some movement early on, but Jaiswal and Rahul negotiated it with discipline. England’s bowlers didn’t help themselves either, frequently straying in line and length. Wayward deliveries outside off were dispatched with ease, while anything short was met with confident pulls and cuts.

The first breakthrough came when Rahul edged Brydon Carse to Joe Root at first slip. Sai Sudharsan, on debut, fell cheaply just before lunch—chasing a delivery down the leg side and edging it behind off Ben Stokes. Jaiswal (101) was eventually dismissed by Stokes in the third session, the England captain by far the most threatening bowler on the day.

India ended Day 1 at 359/3, firmly in control. The wicket played true and looks like it has a lot more runs in it. Both teams will know now that this is a high-scoring surface. England will hope to restrict India to under 450, but that would require discipline and effort their bowlers didn’t show on Day 1. India, on the other hand, will aim for a total well in excess of 550 to put the game out of England’s reach.

A cracking start to the #ENGvIND series at Headingley 🤩 pic.twitter.com/80y02kmyaZ

— ICC (@ICC) June 20, 2025

What To Expect on Day 2

Day 2 could define the direction of this Test. England’s best chance is to take at least three wickets in the first session and keep India under the 450 mark. But given the current platform and batting depth, India will be eyeing a score north of 550. The flat nature of the pitch means partnerships will be hard to break unless bowlers find something extra.

From a team selection perspective, India may already be questioning their strategy. The decision to include Shardul Thakur as a fourth seam option at the cost of a genuine pacer may again come back to haunt them, as it did in the World Test Championship Final against Australia. On that occasion, too, India went with extra batting depth and found themselves unable to sustain pressure when the opposition counterattacked. Here, on a similarly flat track, the absence of a fourth genuine pacer could make it harder to maintain intensity and take wickets in clusters. The extra batting depth gained by including Shardul may not be needed on such a docile pitch.

In hindsight, India might have been better served with either Arshdeep Singh or Akash Deep—bowlers who can keep pressure on and offer a different angle or length. Shardul has been useful in England before, but those came in seam-friendly conditions. On flatter tracks like this, his lack of pace could prove a liability. England’s aggressive batting approach means they’ll look to attack him in particular.

That places an even greater burden on Bumrah, Siraj, and Prasidh to carry the pace workload. If they can’t get breakthroughs or maintain pressure, England’s batters—especially in the fourth innings—might make a serious chase out of it.

Day 2 will be a test of discipline, stamina, and scoreboard pressure. For India, it’s a chance to bat England out of the match. For England, it’s a desperate opportunity to claw back before the game runs away from them.