Bloody Hell, What A Day For India At Headingley – IND Vs ENG 1st Test Match Day 1 Recap

Bloody Hell, What a Day for India at Headingley

Right, where do I even start with this? Got to Headingley this morning expecting a decent day's cricket, maybe some early wickets for England given the overcast conditions. Instead, I've just watched India absolutely batter the English bowling attack into submission. 359 for 3 at stumps. Three hundred and fifty-nine for three. On day one. In England.

Stokes won the toss, had a look at the conditions, and decided to bowl first. Made sense at the time - bit of cloud cover, pitch had some grass on it. Twenty minutes later, he was probably wondering if he'd made a terrible mistake.

Jaiswal Was Different Class

Look, I've seen plenty of young batsmen come to England and struggle. The ball moves here, the crowds are different, the pressure's immense. Yashasvi Jaiswal didn't get that memo. The lad walked out there like he owned the place.

His century was proper Test cricket. Not flashy, not trying to be clever - just good, old-fashioned batting. Early on, Woakes was getting the ball to do a bit, and there were moments where you thought "here we go, typical visiting batsman getting worked over." But Jaiswal hung in there.

The best part about his 101? He made it look easy once he got going. Those early nerves disappeared completely. Started picking off the loose balls, rotating strike, making the English bowlers come to him. By the time he reached his hundred with that neat little flick off his pads, the Headingley crowd was applauding. That doesn't happen often for visiting players.

When Stokes finally got him with that absolute beauty that jagged back off the pitch, even Jaiswal seemed to appreciate it. Proper dismissal, that. Nothing you can do about balls like that.

Gill Looked Every Inch a Captain

Shubman Gill batted like a man with a point to prove today. New captain, first Test in charge, everyone watching to see how he'd handle the pressure. Well, he handled it by making batting look ridiculously simple.

His 127 not out was textbook stuff. Those cover drives were gorgeous - proper cricket shots that had the purists in the crowd purring with appreciation. But it wasn't just the pretty shots. He left well, he was patient when he needed to be, and he punished the bad balls without taking unnecessary risks.

The partnership with Jaiswal was the foundation of India's day. These two just kept ticking along, picking up ones and twos, making the English fielders work for everything. By lunch, you could see the frustration building in the England camp. Nothing was happening for them.

Gill's still out there, by the way. Still looking comfortable, still picking off boundaries when they're there. If he can push on tomorrow and get a big score, this could be the kind of innings that defines his captaincy.

Pant Doing Pant Things

Then Rishabh Pant walked in and immediately started playing shots that shouldn't be legal in Test cricket. His 65 not out included some of the most outrageous strokeplay you'll see this summer.

There was this reverse sweep off the spinner that made half the crowd gasp and the other half laugh. Completely unnecessary, absolutely brilliant. That's Pant for you - turning routine situations into must-watch television.

But here's the thing - it wasn't just slogging. Every shot had thought behind it. When the field was up, he'd find the gaps. When they dropped back, he'd work singles. The six he hit straight back over the bowler's head was hit so clean it's probably still traveling.

His partnership with Gill has already put on 89 runs, and if these two bat for another hour tomorrow morning, England are going to be chasing leather all day.

England's Bowling Was Alright, Actually

Before everyone starts having a go at England's bowlers, let me say this - they weren't terrible. Chris Woakes bowled his heart out for figures of 0-89. On another day, with a bit more luck, he might have had three wickets.

The problem was the pitch. It just didn't do enough for the seamers. Yeah, there was the odd ball that did something interesting, but mostly it was good for batting. When the surface is this flat and the batsmen are applying themselves properly, bowling becomes a thankless job.

Stokes tried everything. Different bowlers, different angles, different fields. He even had a bowl himself when nothing else was working. The effort was there, but sometimes cricket just goes against you.

The Crowd Was Brilliant

Fair play to the Headingley crowd today. Even as their team was getting taken apart, they stayed positive and appreciative of good cricket. When Jaiswal got his hundred, the applause was genuine. When Gill played some of those cover drives, you could hear the appreciation.

The Indian fans scattered around the ground were having an absolute ball. Tricolors everywhere, songs being sung, drums being beaten. This is what Test cricket should be about.

What Happens Next?

India are in a brilliant position, obviously. 359-3 on day one of a Test match puts you firmly in the driver's seat. But Test cricket is funny - things can change quickly.

The India vs England 2025 series has started exactly how most of us hoped it would. High-quality cricket, brilliant individual performances, and proper Test match drama. This IND vs ENG 1st Test match is shaping up to be a cracker.

Tomorrow's first session will be crucial. If Gill and Pant can add another 80-100 runs to their partnership, India will be thinking about when to declare. If England can grab a couple of quick wickets, suddenly the game looks different.

The Indian cricket score today tells a story of disciplined batting and smart cricket. This wasn't just about individual brilliance - it was about playing proper Test cricket. Building partnerships, wearing down the bowlers, capitalizing on the good conditions.

These are the kind of Test cricket highlights that remind you why this format is still the best cricket has to offer. Real skill, real pressure, real consequences for every decision.

Walking back to the car tonight, I overheard two England fans talking. "Well," said one, "at least we know our bowling's going to get a proper workout this series." That's Yorkshire humor for you - even when your team's getting hammered, you find a way to see the bright side.

Can't wait for tomorrow. If today was anything to go by, this series is going to be something special. Just hope England have some answers to what India threw at them today, because right now, the visitors look like they're playing a different game entirely.

India batting performance like this doesn't come around often. When it does, you just have to tip your cap and enjoy the show. Today was one of those days.