Live Blog - England v India, Headingley Day 2 - Pope hundred, Bumrah removes Root
By Vithushan EhantharajahStumps: Pope ton but Bumrah carries fight
England 209 for 3 (Pope 100*, Brook 0*) trail India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101, Stokes 4-66, Tongue 4-86) by 262 runs
Saturday in Leeds was a day of opportunities taken and spurned. Unfortunately for India, it was their contribution to the latter on day two that has changed the complexion of this Test match.
Having begun the day with Rishabh Pant’s thrill-filled 134, the third of the India innings, they proceeded to lose 7 for 41 to cap their innings at 471. And yet more profligacy in the field not only allowed Ollie Pope to move to his ninth Test century, but England to close on 209 for 3.
Pope, unbeaten on 100, rests satiated with a consecutive Test hundred following his 171 against Zimbabwe, at a time when his place has been questioned with the precocious yet century-less Jacob Bethell waiting in the wings.
Pope also rests dreaming of mimicking his Hyderabad epic that dug England out of a similar sized hole. But India will rue a drop on 60 by Yashasvi Jaiswal at third slip, after Pope had played in the air through that region earlier (on 48) and fourth at the very start of his innings when on 10. That he had made all three errors off Jasprit Bumrah was no surprise, particularly as the demonic quick ended up accounting for all three wickets.
But just when it looked like Bumrah would head to stumps with a clean record, a third front-foot no ball in his final over of the day ended up giving Harry Brook a life on 0. A brutal short ball was clothed amaterishly by Brook towards midwicket. Umpire Chris Gaffaney, having stuck his arm out for the previously delivery, put his hand to his ear before doing so one more as news of another infringement came through from the television umpire.
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Bumrah strikes oversteps...!
Into the final over of the day, India praying for Jasprit Bumrah to produce one last moment of magic... and he does, having Harry Brook caught at midwicket attempting to pull. But for third time in the over, Chris Gaffaney signals no-ball! Huge cheers around Headingley, as Yorkshireman Brook walks back to the crease, with three more balls to survive.
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Ollie Pope gets to three figures!
He arrived at the end of the first over upon Zak Crawley's wicket, plenty behind, and was fortunate to spend most of Jasprit Bumrah's devilish first spell at the nonstriker's end. Of the six balls he did face one, on 190, was 'guided' through a vacant fourth slip. There was also the guide through a vacant third that took him to fifty.
The biggest miss of all was when Jaiswal dropped him at third slip. He had 60 then, and the 40th run from that miss came via a thick inside edge into the leg side. But he didn't care. And why should he.
In between, there have been a lot of guts and plenty of exceptional shots, particularly the larrup over fine leg when Prasidh Krishna decided to go at him with a few words and some short stuff. The celebration was visceral, and you can understand why. Amid all the talk of the vice-captain being put under pressure by wunderkind Jacob Bethell, he has responded with back-to-back centuries, and his second against India after that 196 at Hyderabad.
One slight dampener for England was the immediate dismissal of Joe Root. Truth be told, he has look, ermmm, skittish since his arrival, playing and missing a lot. Feeling for the ball more than he needs to. This delivery, hung out wide with a bit of shape, entices one last feel, edging to first slip.
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Shardul gets into the game - for a bit
After all the talk was about Shardul Thakur being a bowling allrounder, his incredibly loose drive for one off eight deliveries was an indication that said descriptor was bang on.
A shame for him, then, that when the time has come for his stronger suit, he finds himself in the midst of a steady partnership between Ollie Pope and Joe Root, with a ball that in the forties that has lots its shine and hardness. It's a thankless task, but one expected of a player picked in his particular role.
Alas, after two overs were taken for 15, he's been whipped out of the attack and replaced by Ravindra Jadeja. Poor Shardul...
Oh he's back, at the other end... and he's been hammered through point by Pope, who moves to 95*
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A third life for Ollie Pope, on 60*
When Ollie Pope got away with a couple of catching height edges through the region of fourth slip (10) and then third slip (48), he could at least take solace in the fact their were no fielders in those positions.
Granted, he was not deliberately guiding them through there, but heck, get a good enough hundred and you can claim to be a threader of cordons, even with those hard hands. Alas, that faux credibility has been punctured by a genuine drop this time.
Twitching at a delivery in an attempt to guide it beyond the cordon, he went a little too narrow and offered Yashasvi Jaiswal a catchable chance to his right at third slip. Sharp but take-able at this level. Jaiswal's reaction - face in the dirt, grimacing as stopped hiding it - said as much.
Idle talk in the press box has turned to *that* Hyderabad innings. It's early days, but this may be luckier... and now Joe Root has been given out LBW for 7 only to then overturn it on review! Siraj the unlucky quick this time.
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Pope and Duckett broken on 122
On the one hand (at the start), this was a partnership surely not long for this world. And yet here we are, as Ben Duckett reverse-slaps Jadeja through cover, with the left arm spinner targeting the left-hander's leg stump.
Duckett and Ollie Pope's stand is their fourth to go past three figures, and their 12th past fifty. Remarkably, they clock in as the second best second-wicket partnership in Test cricket... ah sorry, make that third now that Duckett has inside edged onto his own stumps to cap it at 122.
It's no less than Bumrah deserves, and would ease the pain from Ollie Pope guiding the first ball of the session through third to move to his half-century. Pope remains as Joe Root emerges to rapturous cheers and "Roooooots" from his home crowd.
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TEA - England 107 for 1, trailing India 471 by 364 runs
Things looked ominous for England when their first innings began at 2:55pm, under gloomy clouds and a ground illuminated by the floodlights and a scoreboard beaming an imposing India total of 471.
When Jasprit Bumrah struck with his sixth delivery to remove Zak Crawley, the clear and present danger of one of the game’s most devastating fast bowlers was apparent. But fast forward to his single over before tea and both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope were still in situ, as they would be at the interval, walking with 53* and 48*, respectively. England sitting remarkably pretty on 107 for 1 from just 24 overs thanks to their 103-run stand.
Both, as it happens should and could have fallen to India’s premier quick. After turning Crawley inside out with a delivery that swung in and then seamed away, taking the edge of an angled bat through to Karun Nair at first slip, Bumrah elicited similar from Pope. However England’s No.3 was spared by the abscence of a fourth slip, allowing him to move beyond 10.
Duckett, however, was luckier, foolishly slapping a length delivery from Bumrah straight to Ravindra Jadeja at backward point. Somehow, a fielder of Jadeja’s standing shelled a routine pouch to his right.
Duckett had 15 at the time, and did not necessarily do anything differently to move to a 19th fifty-plus score. Both he and Pope were able to indulge their natural pro-active streaks with a little less jeopardy against Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, milked for 4.11 and 6.40 an over.
It spoke to the fact that, barring a change to atmospheric conditions brought about by a deluge that delayed play after lunch, this was still a fine batting deck. And while Rishabh Pant used it to peel off a sumptuous seventh Test hundred - going level with MS Dhoni with his sixth as India’s wicketkeeper - the rest of the card could not follow.
Including the dismissal of Shubman Gill - the first to fall on day two after a resumption on 359 for 3 - India lost their last seven wickets for just 41 runs. Josh Tongue, who went wicketless for 16 overs on day one, was the main beneficiary, finishing with the very generous figures of 4 for 86. It was skipper Ben Stokes who was the pick of the bowlers, with 4 for 66, accounting for half of the top eight.
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A selection error for India? Matt Roller has more...
Selection is always easier in hindsight but India must be wishing they had picked Kuldeep Yadav instead of Shardul Thakur.
Shubman Gill insisted on the eve of this match that his focus would always be on taking 20 wickets in selection, but picking Shardul felt like a hedge with his ability to score quick runs from No. 8 and contribute a few overs.
As it has played out, he nicked off for one, and is yet to bowl a ball after 21 overs. Meanwhile Kuldeep, who took 11 wickets in the last two Tests of the reverse series 18 months ago, is running the drinks.
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Time for Jaddu
43.48 Jadeja's bowling average in England
Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope have not just successful negotiated the seamers but they are galloping towards tea at five an over. Granted, their early time together was fraught with danger (Bumrah) but they have survived and now thrive, forcing Shubman Gill into his first real bit of angst as India captain.
Mohammed Siraj is operating a bit of a hybrid short boy ploy, with two slips in a gully along with square leg and fine leg back. Point is also out.
After 17 overs, Gill turned to Ravindra Jadeja, who boasts a modest record on these shores with 27 wickets from 21 innings. As we saw from Shoaib Bashir, there is turn and bounce on offer... and Jadeja gets it second ball of his second over.
Having dropped short to be cut away behind square by Pope, he corrects his length, draws Pope forward and just beats the edge through to the keeper...
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Matt Roller on England making progress amid the storm
England’s top order has been put under real pressure here by Jasprit Bumrah’s electrifying first spell of the series, yet they find themselves 54 for 1 after 10 overs and with Bumrah out of the attack. In that sense, this has been a great example of the benefits of their attacking approach with the bat: if they had played for survival in these conditions, there is every chance they would be 20 for 2.
India will already be rueing those missed chances, particularly Jadeja’s uncharacteristic drop at backward point. Shubman Gill must also be aware that there will be more to come today given the way that England play, and avoid falling into the trap that many captains have against them: if he spreads the field, it will enable England’s batters to shift down the gears and take low-risk singles to the sweepers.
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5 - 2 - 21 - 1
A pretty remarkable and yet totally expected first spell of this series for Jasprit Bumrah has come to an end. He's been immaculate to both left and right-hander, moving the ball away from both, without giving them any scope to leave.
He was rewarded with the wicket of Zak Crawley off his sixth delivery, but has been desperately unlucky since. There was a whiff of a chance just short of gully - Duckett on 1 - before Ollie Pope was turned inside-out by delivery similar to the one that did for Crawley, only for the ball to fly through a vacant fourth slip.
The biggest miss, however, came when he went around the wicket to Duckett. The left-hander, desperate to force something, cut powerfully but straight to Ravi Jadeja at backward point, who shifted well to his right but could not cling on.
Given the choice, you'd pick Jadeja over pretty much anyone on the field. It was a poor miss, that was compounded when Duckett forced the last of Bumrah's spell - a length delivery just outside off, again from around the wicket - through extra cover for four.
Mohammad Siraj - three overs, 0 for 23 from the Rugby Ground End - has picked up matters from the Kirkstall Lane End. Let's see if the down slope helps him find some rhythm...
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Bumrah strikes immediately!
A stonker, angled in quick, nipping away quicker.
Zak Crawley was closing the face a touch, though that's part of the misdirection and confusion Jasprit Bumrah causes.
Matt Roller has just unearthed this lovely little tidbit on Bumrah v Crawley...
2024: 163 balls, 76 runs, 1 dismissal
2025: 6 balls, 4 runs, 1 dismissal
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Let's try this again...
The players are re-assuming their positions. Duckett and Crawley have this time sprinted out to the middle - an absolute Baz McCullum play if ever we've seen one. Positive intent, running towards the danger that is Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball...
Obviously there's a delay because someone is behind the bowler's arm...
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Actually, scratch that... it has started raining
Just as Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley stepped onto the field, the umpires were shooing them and the India players off and calling for the covers.
It is actually raining. Probably about on time as per the morning's forecast, so well done them. There are now covers being brought on to cover the bowler's run-up.
Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Abhimanyu Easwaran are using the boundary sponge in front of the India dressing room to play football-tennis. An indication of how meek this rain is to be causing a delay...
Reddy
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Tongue wags - the tail doesn't
Tongue’s figures looked ugly overnight – 0 for 75 from 16 overs, with no maidens – but he responded with the big wicket of Rishabh Pant in his second over today and has now played a valuable role in cleaning up India’s tail. It has been a classic recipe to the tail: hard lengths interspersed with full balls, at a quick enough pace to burst through the defences of lower-order batters.
He finishes with 4 for 86 from 20 – so 4 for 11 from his four overs today – and while he has not bowled anywhere near his best, those late wickets will take the focus off him. From 430 for 3 moments before Shubman Gill was out, India must be wondering how they have failed to reach 500.
The covers are off, India are in their huddle and the umpires are walking out to two set of stumps in the ground. It's happening people...
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India 471 all out!
That's all she wrote!
A quite amazing collapse, really, as India lose their final 7 wickets for 41, dismissed 23 minutes after lunch. The lights have been on after the break and there is a bit of drizzle. Nothing too heavy just yet with the roller going up and down on the pitch with the covers primed.
Back to that collapse - it was amazing because it crept up on, well, everyone. A century laden top six that also featured a couple of ducks has given way for a real folding from the lower order. And it was all the more boggling considering Josh Tongue, who had gone wicketless for 16 overs on day one has just walked off with figures of 4 for 84.
Both England openers - and Ollie Pope - charged off the field, but they may be saved if the rain picks up soon enough. Otherwise, they've got to face Jasprit Bumrah - first on the field to warm-up - et al in these dark and treacherous conditions...
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Play underway after lunch... with the lights on
We've recommenced at Headingley, with Ben Stokes bowling the last two deliveries of the 109th over.
That completed a seven-over spell, and, given the attention on his workloads, Josh Tongue has picked up matters from the Kirkstall Lane End.
Michael Atherton, commentating on Sky, turns to Stuart Broad and asks, "You wouldn't have the ball taken our of your hand if you had four wickets..." But needs must. And would you look at that - Tongue has a wicket! Full, touch of movement, nicked to Harry Brook at second slip.
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Covers coming on at the lunch interval...
As I mentioned at the top of the show, there were storms forecast for the afternoon. It looks like they might be upon us...
The Headingley ground staff line up the covers as the pitch markings are getting a lick of paint. It has suddenly got very blustery out there. Our great leader Andrew Miller has fired up his satellites, which is never a good sign...
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Lunch, Day 2 - India 454 for 7
Rishabh Pant’s seventh Test century reasserted India’s day one dominance, only for them to cede ground back to England as they lost four wickets for 24 heading into the lunch break of day two of this first Test at Headingley.
It was more or less all India for the first 90 minutes of Saturday’s morning session, and the manner of the 95 runs added spoke of not just an upperhand but a degree of menace. Pant provided 70 of them, at his mischievours best, to the extent that even this majority English crowd rued his demise.
He was a one-man circus of heaves and tumbles, the first of them coming when he greeted Shoaib Bashir’s first delivery with a fall-away paddle over his shoulder. The second was more choreographed after lifting Bashir over wide-midwicket to bring up his sixth hundred as wicketkeeper, from his 146th delivery. Only MS Dhoni has as many for India, with this a third century on these shores - no other keeper-batter has one than one - that also sits top of his three-figure knocks for most sixes (six).
There were no chances offered, per se, until, on 124, he ran past a delivery from Bashir and was forced to reclaim his ground on his hands and knees, having flung the bat away towards fine leg. Jamie Smith failed to capitalise on the error, but his blushes were saved when Josh Tongue, hidden in the field for most of this session, was able to catch Pant not playing a shot to trap him LBW.
With Gill having been removed on 147 - lifting Bashir to Tongue at deep square leg - to end a fourth wicket stand on 209, and Karun Nair’s eight-year hiatus amounting to a four-ball duck - plucked gloriously out of the air by Ollie Pope at cover - Pant’s dismissal was a nod to the need for a touch of consolidation from the hosts. But with lunch looming, Shardul Thakur clumsily chased a wide delivery through to Smith.
It was Ben Stokes’ second wicket of the morning, now with 4 for 66 at the break. Yet again, the England captain has been the pick of the bowlers.
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Matt Roller on a tough four sessions for Josh Tongue
This has been a rough Test for Josh Tongue who has only just returned to the attack for the first time since England took the second new ball. He started his first spell with a shin-high full toss yesterday and while he has generally bowled with decent pace, he was punished whenever he overpitched: he has bowled 16 ‘full’ balls, per ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs, and conceded 29 runs from them.
Shubman Gill was particularly severe on him, scoring 34 off 31 balls in their head-to-head, and Tongue’s inconsistency has been best summed up by the fact that he is yet to bowl a maiden in his first 17 overs. After an impressive start to the season for Nottinghamshire, Tongue is tailing off at just the wrong time.
Does that count as a jinx?
Nair is no more, plucked out of the air at cover by Ollie Pope for a duck!
It's a tame end, really, guiding a full ball from Ben Stokes that was a touch too wide to go at with a drive through over. Maybe he could have square-driven it but, four balls in, the prospect of a gift was too great to resist.
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Welcome back, Karun Nair...
Shubman Gill falls for 147 and the applause as he leaves doubles up with some hearty cheers as Karun Nair emerges into the light.
More than eight years after his last appearance in Test cricket, he is back. What a journey it has been...
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Slowly setting the record straight...
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Head over heels!
It's a special hundred for Rishabh Pant!
Never mind that it is the third of the innings, it has probably been the most entertaining. He is the kind of bloke to make a walk to the shops a laugh, and here he is, on a flat one, cashing in himself while giving the fans what they want.
Shot of the morning might be his tumbling ramp to Shoaib Bashir's first ball of day two. And those early years as a gymnast come to the fore after he lifts Bashir one-handed over midwicket to bring up his century from 146 deliveries. The helmet comes off, as do the gloves, the bat is placed down before a front-flip into a hug from Shubman Gill.
Pant's seventh Test century is also a seminal one; only MS Dhoni has as many centuries as an Indian wicketkeeper (six). This is also his third in England. No visiting keeper has more than one...
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"You're leaving amazing, sweetie!"
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150 and counting...
103 Woakes brings up his century... from 23 overs
The conventional stylist, the renegade southpaw. Captain and vice-captain. Right-left.
Quite a duo, Gill and Pant, as they push their stand past 150 with ease. England are being a bit formulaic here, in part because the ball is still new and, according to Stuart Broad on Sky, the pitch should be about to spring to some semblance of life once the effects of the morning's roller have worn off. Their lines are straighter and fuller for now.
But these two batters are making steady progress, barely breaking a sweat with their contrasting methods. And just as Chris Woakes fails to get out of his over with a no ball that would have capped it at seven deliveries, the eighth is guided down to the third boundary with consumate ease.
And that's three figures for Woakes...
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Gill's changed his socks... but he's not changed his shots
The second new ball is five overs old, so Ben Stokes has understandably started the day with his opening bowlers.
The problem is, just like last night, it's pinging off the bat. Gill opens day two's boundary account with a gorgeous extra cover drive, beating Ben Stokes' desperate dive to his right at an orthodox cover position.
As Gill turns after a quick saunter down the pitch to admire the shot, his bright white socks come into view. Blinding white, actually, as if they're fresh out of a deep bleach wash. Presumably they needed an extra day to dry, hence Friday's black numbers.
Pant's not quite got one out of the screws, but he's certainly carried over the intent into the morning. Carse isn't amused when he charges and completely misses a hack into the Western Terrace. One closer to the body comes in an attempt to keep Pant honest, but that's flicked away fine for the left-hander's first boundary.
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FOUR centuries, Sourav?
That's insane...
OK, it's not. What a flex though; predicting a couple more centuries, referencing a Test where you yourself bagged a casual 128 off 167 deliveries and - the pièce de résistance
- calling Sachin "champ". Magnifique.
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Gill and Pant - Boyz n the Mood?
Welcome welcome welcome to day two of this first Test between England and India!
I was going to use “versus” instead of “and” there, but that would paint an inaccurate picture of a contest. It was anything but on Friday. Shubman Gill’s first day as Test captain could not have gone any better.
The weather in Leeds this morning is as confusingly glorious as it has been over the last few weeks. There is, however, a storm forecast for this afternoon, which is supposedly going to hit the Leeds area around 2pm. It may miss us, but I suppose we will have to wait to find out…
England were cursing their luck about how the pitch played, and may end up in the eye of said storm for their first innings. But as much as they might lament yesterday's toil, they did not bowl that well. And when they did, Yashasvi Jaiswal was more than equal to it.
The only person busier than Ben Stokes yesterday was our Sid Monga, who churned out two bangers that are linked above. There's every chance he'll be writing about a third Indian century in, what, maybe an hour into play? Rishabh Pant lurks expectantly on 65*.
I'll be on the Live Report throughout the day, plus there's our excellent ball-by-ball commentary.
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India 359 for 3
The two faces of India’s new generation of Test batters traded sparkling centuries to dominate England on the opening day at Headingley. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill cruised to hundreds as opener and No. 4 respectively, shrugging off the absence of two modern greats whose retirements have vacated those roles: no Rohit, no Virat, no problem.
Jaiswal plundered 712 runs in India’s home series against England 18 months ago; here, he provided further evidence of his adaptability. His century was a masterclass in off-side strokeplay: each of his 17 boundaries, including a vicious cut for six over cover, came on the off side, and he took only 48 balls to move from 50 to 100.
But Gill’s innings, his first as captain, was even better. He embodied the tempo that he wants from his side, charging to his fastest half-century (off 56 balls) without offering a chance before cruising serenely to three figures. After lashing a cover drive for four to reach his sixth Test hundred, he bowed to a standing ovation from his team-mates on the dressing-room balcony.
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Pant reaches 50...
...in typical Pant fashion. England take the new ball, throw it to Chris Woakes, and after one defensive shot, Pant has seen enough. He gets down on one knee to slog-sweep, throws the kitchen sink at it, and toe-ends through mid-on for a truly filthy boundary. Everything seems to be going India's way - and Pant has brought up 3,000 Test runs to boot.
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The world reacts
Some things clearly are written in the stars Congratulations @ShubmanGill on your first overseas century as Test captain You clearly understand what a serious responsibility it is and you’ve let your bat do all the talking Well done and here’s to many more! #INDvsENG
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 20, 2025
That’s the way to Bat .. any youngsters starting out to try and Bat please follow @ShubmanGill .. #ENGvsIND .. a Perfect
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) June 20, 2025
New skipper, new series, what a way to start! A very important hundred of Gill's career. Well played skipper @ShubmanGill #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/HSHDSlVl1e
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) June 20, 2025
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Rarefied company
India players who have scored a century in their first match as Test captain:
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 20, 2025
Vijay Hazare
Sunil Gavaskar
Dilip Vengsarkar
Virat Kohli
pic.twitter.com/3r0a0kBcbI
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The Prince's coronation
Few positions in world sport have a legacy quite like India's Test No. 4. For two-and-a-half decades, two of the all-time greats - Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli - have had locked it down, and Shubman Gill would have been well aware of the expectations on the role when he agreed with coach Gautam Gambhir that he should bat there.
His first innings there could not have gone better. Gill has played fluently all day and unlike Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored almost exclusively on the off side, has scored heavily on both sides of the wicket. He reached three figures by lacing a cover-drive for four off Josh Tongue, and celebrated with a bow to his team-mates on the India balcony.
Gill has long been dubbed 'the prince' in Indian cricket. This might be the day that he became king.
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Pant raises India's 300
That's the Rishabh Pant we know and love. Shoaib Bashir has bowled with a long-on all day, but Pant knows that if he connects, he can clear him comfortably. He decides to charge down and belt Bashir back over his head for six, and this ends up in the second tier of the Howard Stand. India have 300, Gill is closing in on three figures, and the partnership is worth 79.
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Thoughts turn to the toss...
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Pant gets away with one
Shoaib Bashir has been quietly impressive for England this afternoon, keeping one end tied down while conceding fewer than three runs per over. Rishabh Pant has been uncharacteristically subdued against spin, meanwhile, but decided in the 68th over it was time to break loose: he attempted to smack him over midwicket, but his steepling top edge was only just out of reach for the backpedalling Zak Crawley.
27 Pant's strike rate against spin today, his second-lowest in a Test innings
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Stokes' long spell
Ben Stokes has been England's most threatening - and most successful - bowler today, and has decided to take himself out of the attack after bowling six overs unchanged after the tea interval. Stokes twice injured his hamstring in the second half of last year and has only played one competitive match in 2025: he will be wary of pushing himself too hard with the ball, especially this early in the series.
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Pant's back
Rishabh Pant missed India's 4-1 win against England at the start of last year as he was still recovering from the injuries he suffered in his horrific car crash.
But he seems to enjoy batting against England: in his last Test against them, the rearranged fifth Test of the 2021 (and 2022) series at Edgbaston, he hit 146 off 111 balls in the first innings, then added 57 in the second.
He charged down the pitch to his second ball today and slapped Ben Stokes back over his head for four - prompting laughter from Stokes - and the pair had another smirk soon after, when an offcutter slipped out as a dipping full toss that Pant had to push away in defence.
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Stokes strikes!
England's captain takes matters into his own hands. He brings himself back on for the second over after tea, and cleans Jaiswal up with his third ball. It's a bail-trimmer, a hint of movement on a good length, and Jaiswal plays around it. He walks back for a brilliant 101, and in strides Rishabh Pant.
813 Yashasvi Jaiswal's total Test runs vs England, in just 10 innings
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Tea: India 215 for 2
Tea - India 215 for 2 (Jaiswal 100*, Gill 58*) vs England
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sparkling hundred put India in charge of the first Test at Headingley. Jaiswal became the first Indian batter to score centuries in his first match in both Australia and England, and his innings was a masterclass in off-side strokeplay: only nine of his first 100 runs came on the leg side, and he cut and drove England’s seamers into submission.
Jaiswal’s third-wicket partnership with Shubman Gill stood at an unbroken 123 at the tea interval, with Gill’s attacking tempo the most notable feature of his maiden innings as Test captain. Gill reached his half-century in just 56 balls, his fastest in Tests, as England’s inexperienced attack toiled on an unusually hot day in Leeds.
But it was Jaiswal who was the most dominant, reaching three figures by carving Brydon Carse for back-to-back boundaries before pinching a quick single towards point. His second 50 took just 48 balls, and he did not offer a single catching chance. His only scare came on 45, when Carse hit him on the toe with a fast yorker but only after overstepping.
Gill looked anxious to get his innings up and running, and gave Ollie Pope an opportunity to run him out off his sixth ball when he attempted a tight single to midwicket. Gill would have been short of his ground if Pope’s throw had been a direct hit; instead, it trickled away to the boundary, a moment which would encapsulate England’s session.
Chris Woakes struggled for control in a spell of 0 for 38 in six overs after lunch, while Shoaib Bashir’s first ball of the series was sliced for four by Jaiswal. He was later dumped over his head, though it was Carse who suffered the ignominy of conceding the first six of the series, cut over cover-point when Ben Stokes demanded a bouncer barrage.
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Jaiswal tons up!
1 Jaiswal is the first Indian batter to score a century in both their first Test in Australia, and their first Test in England. He's only the fifth batter overall to achieve the same feat.
A special innings from a special player. Yashasvi Jaiswal loves playing against England, and belts Brydon Carse away for back-to-back boundaries to move to 99. He then drops and runs into the off side, and raises his arms aloft to celebrate his fifth Test hundred, and third against England.
Jaiswal has been struggling with cramps in the last 15 minutes or so: it is a warm day here in Leeds by English standards, and he has prepared for this series with his usual high-volume training sessions. But he is fit enough to race through to three figures; his second 50 came off just 48 balls.
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Wood targeting fifth Test
Mark Wood has declared that he is targeting a comeback from knee surgery in the fifth Test of this series. Wood was expected to miss the duration of this Test series but is at Headingley working for the BBC's Test Match Special and said that he still hopes to play a part.
"Rehab is going well," Wood said. "I’ve just started bowling very lightly, so I’m on the comeback trail now officially. I’m hoping still to play a part in this series, so I get to have a look at some of the players here who I might come up against.
"I’m still targeting probably the last Test. Anything before that is maybe a bit too soon. The last Test, I might not get there, but at the minute, that’s still my focus that I might play a part.
"It’s been a bit slow to start with. I haven’t been able to do a lot, but starting to speed up now, getting some bowling in, hopefully not too much longer. [I'm] still hoping that I can play a part right at the end of the series, but I’ll just wait and see."
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Jaiswal's off-side dominance
10 Runs out of 86 scored on the leg side by Yashasvi Jaiswal in this innings.
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Monga on Gill
Sidharth Monga at Headingley: I had no doubt in my mind that Shubman Gill was going to score runs on Bazball pitches against an attack of Chris Woakes and nobody who has played more than five Tests. Actually, I never had any doubts he was going to score runs in tougher conditions against better attacks. But when you are made the India captain with an average of 35, and no hundreds outside Asia and the West Indies, you need to get those early runs to cast aside the voices as soon as possible.
Gill is a special batter. He has a career control percentage nudging 90. He has just faced some really difficult conditions early in his career, and you sometimes need some luck on those. On the first day of his captaincy, he has been offered perhaps the easiest conditions Gill has had in the said countries. Or at all. And he has not just accumulated but raced away. He is 51 in a stand on 89.
Gill will want to go on, get three figures on, and demand the authority he needs as the captain.
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Gill's fastest fifty
56 Balls taken for Shubman Gill to reach 50 at Headingley, his fastest in Tests. His previous quickest half-century came off 60 balls, also against England, in Vizag last year.
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The first six of the series
26 Sixes Jaiswal hit vs England in early 2024
Stokes has gone to his short-ball plan, setting a field for a bumper barrage from Josh Tongue. But Jaiswal is more than happy to take him on, and crashes a cut over cover-point for half a dozen.
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Bashir vs Jaiswal
185 Runs Jaiswal scored off Shoaib Bashir in the 2024 series between these teams, off 196 balls for twice out.
Shoaib Bashir is into the attack for the first time today, and Jaiswal flashes his first ball away for four behind square on the off side. He struggled to keep a lid on Jaiswal's scoring in the reverse series 18 months ago - as most of England's bowlers did - and he will come under sustained pressure from India's batters over the next six weeks.
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Woakes takes a pasting
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Chris Woakes has struggled since lunch, conceding eight boundaries in his last four overs. He hasn't been able to find his usual immaculate length, being driven when he errs too full and cut when he drops short. His six overs in this spell have brought him figures of 0 for 38, and it must be time for a look at Shoaib Bashir before long.
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50 for Jaiswal
6 50-plus scores for Jaiswal against England, in 10 innings
Yashasvi Jaiswal works one off his chest through square leg, and jogs through for a single which brings him a half-century in his first innings in England. He was their scourge in the Anthony de Mello Trophy in early 2024, piling on 724 runs, and has started the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in similar fashion.
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Who would England and India fans take from the opposition?
Which player would India and England fans like to take from the opposing team? pic.twitter.com/sBOocVtR31
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 20, 2025
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Jaiswal escapes
Brydon Carse traps Yashasvi Jaiswal on the boot with a yorker, which he digs out into the gully but after the ball hit his toe first. It looked as though Jaiswal would have been absolute plumb on review - but Carse had overstepped, ruling out the possibility of England taking one. Not quite a life, but a fortunate escape on 45 for Jaiswal.
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Manjrekar on Gill
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GIll gets lucky
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It's not often that you see a five in any cricket, but India's new captain Shubman Gill has scored one in the first full over after lunch. He got off the mark with a quick single through the covers off Stokes, and looked to tip-and-run again off his sixth ball, working into the leg side.
It was a poorly-judged run, and Ollie Pope would have run him out with a direct hit from short midwicket. But his throw was wide, and flew away to the boundary for four overthrows.
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Sudharsan's unwanted record
6 Sai Sudharsan is only the sixth Indian top-three batter to bag a duck on Test debut, at the first at No. 3.
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Lunch: India 92 for 2
Session report: England took two wickets in six balls on the stroke of lunch to change the complexion of the first session of the newly-minted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. India’s openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, had been largely untroubled throughout their 91-run opening stand after being put in by Ben Stokes, but Rahul and debutant Sai Sudharsan fell just before the interval.
Jaiswal batted through the first session of his first Test in England unscathed, and traded crisply-struck boundaries with Rahul. The pair shared 16 fours, all through the off side, as England’s seamers tried and failed to induce outside edges, and did not offer a catching chance for the first 114 minutes of the day.
The only scare for Jaiswal came when he was struck on the ribs by Brydon Carse, who shared the new ball with Chris Woakes in his first home Test. He otherwise scored fluently and batted with the same freedom he had shown in the most recent series between these teams, when he piled on 712 runs in five matches.
England were so desperate for a wicket that they burned an lbw review on a ball from around the wicket which pitched outside leg stump. Josh Tongue bowled with good pace and his inswinger trapped Jaiswal on the pad in his second over, but the decision to review was hugely optimistic and reflected their frustrations.
But Carse struck with a full, wide outswinger, which Rahul edged straight to Joe Root at slip for 42, and debutant Sudharsan strangled his fourth ball in Test cricket down the leg side to Jamie Smith off Stokes. England’s double-strike left the game in the balance, and took some of the scrutiny off Stokes’ decision to bowl first at the toss.
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Sudharsan falls for 0
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Two in six balls for England! Sai Sudharsan punches his bat in frustration, and falls for a duck in his maiden Test innings. He got a snorter of a first ball from Carse, and off his third, England appealed for a leg-side strangle off Stokes. His fourth proved to be his final one: Stokes sprayed the ball down the leg side, but Sudharsan could only inside-edge through to Jamie Smith. That has completely changed the complexion of the session.
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Carse gets KL
England finally have the breakthrough. They've hung the ball outside off stump all morning - every boundary so far has been on the off side - and Carse went full and wide here. It wasn't a great ball, but Rahul went chasing after it and his thick outside edge flew straight to Root at first slip. The opening stand, worth 91, is broken, and Sai Sudharsan walks out on Test debut.
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Did England make the wrong call?
Sidharth Monga at Headingley: No wicket in the first 110 minutes after inserting India in, and the temptation is go after statspeople. The word going around pretty quickly was that this was a decision made on stats – last six Headingley Tests won by chasing sides and only six out of 28 Tests in Bazball era won by sides batting first – and not on the conditions.
One, there is a lot of hindsight involved in that criticism. Both the captains wanted to bowl first. The head of ground, a Bradford League legend batter himself, said the thing to do was to bowl first. And the reason is that whatever assistance there is, it is on the fresh pitch. It is hot and breezy and going to flatten out quickly.
It will be more difficult for the team bowling second to take wickets here. So you want to give your bowlers the most help they can get. This is not a bad decision at the toss, but the bowling has left a little to be desired. Josh Tongue has looked the most threatening, and that’s because of straighter lines. The others pivoted too late from bowling that channel.
The second hour was better than the first with 16 false shots in 11.4 overs as against 17 in the first 14. Given that it will get flatter and is not expected to break, bowling first still seems to the right call unless the mysterious scoreboard pressure becomes a factor.
Or the overcast conditions on day three, which became the forecast late evening yesterday after a whole week of predictions of a baking weekend. Now you can’t quite base your toss decision on the fluctuating forecast.
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Leave it alone
49 Leaves by India's openers in the first 20 overs at Headingley.
Shiva Jayaraman from ESPNcricinfo's stats team: This is the highest percentage leaves in the first 20 overs by visiting batters in England in the last 24 Test innings. The last time visiting batters were allowed to leave more deliveries by England bowlers in England was in the first Test of the 2021 Pataudi series, where India openers added 97 runs, their highest opening stand in the first innings of a Test series in England."
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Rahul in cruise control
KL Rahul hits back-to-back boundaries off Ben Stokes: the first slashed hard away over the slips, the second guided with more control. He has looked the more solid opener this morning and has changed his approach somewhat, generally taking a leg-stump guard with a minimal trigger movement.
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Have England's seamers missed a trick?
Sidharth Monga at Headingley: In Australia, a byplay was Yashasvi Jaiswal’s starts against Mitchell Starc. He usually likes to stand on middle and leg and shuffle across closer to the ball. Starc was onto it, and kept trying to get him to fall over with a full and straight ball.
First ball of first Test, pitched on middle and leg, had Jaiswal falling over, but seamed in extravagantly to miss the pad and the exposed leg stump. The first ball of the second Test had him out lbw. Jaiswal’s response was to ove his guard to outside leg so that he was not falling over after his shuffle.
He is back to standing on middle and leg, and I was keen to see if England would look to go full and straight and swing it in against the engle. They have been more keen to use the wobble ball here, and have hardly looked to get him lbw. Which is strange because Chris Woakes got him lbw with the full inswinger in the Lions game.
Josh Tongue, the first-change bowler, hit the pad early in his spell with a full and straight ball, but it was more a case of sliding too far leg and thus missing his bat rather than Jaiswal falling over.
Overall as well, just seven balls were hitting the wickets in the first 12 overs. Not saying they would have got a wicket by now, but I assume England would have troubled India more had they attacked the stumps more. India will do that.
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Bethell to play for Warwickshire
Jacob Bethell missed out on selection for this Test, with Ollie Pope preferred at No. 3, and is set to play for Warwickshire against Somerset in the County Championship on Sunday. Sam Cook will also leave the England camp tomorrow evening and play for Essex against Hampshire this weekend, though Jamie Overton is set to stay at Headingley.
Bethell has now played a first-class match this calendar year, and has still not scored a century in any professional cricket. This weekend would be a good time to change that.
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50 up for India
2 This is only the second time that Jaiswal and Rahul have put on 50+ for the first wicket in Tests. The previous time came in the second innings in Perth last year, when they added 201.
Namooh Shah from ESPNcricinfo's stats team: Jaiswal and Rahul are the first visiting openers since Peter Fulton and Hamish Rutherford (New Zealand, 2013) to put on a 50-run partnership at Headingley.
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England burn a review
Josh Tongue, playing his fourth Test, makes an inauspicious start with a full toss first up, but then nails Jaiswal on the back pad with an inswinging yorker from around the wicket.
England get overexcited after finally creating a half-chance for wicket, and decide to review despite the fact this was clearly swinging down the leg side. In fact, the ball pitched outside leg stump, so might not have hit another set.
But Tongue has made a decent start, with his pace up at 90mph/145kph.
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Carse hits Jaiswal
A couple of sketchy moments for Yashasvi Jaiswal. He is beaten on the outside edge as Woakes gets one to shape away significantly, then missed out as he attempts to slash a cut through point off Carse.
Three balls later, he wears one in the ribs: he gets himself blocked off, unable to free his arms at a rising back-of-a-length ball, and takes it on the body. That must have stung.
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Cook: Good toss to lose?
Alastair Cook, the former England captain, seems unconvinced by Ben Stokes' decision to bowl first. Speaking on the BBC's Test Match Special, he says:
"The fact it’s so hot… If you bowl first and don’t bowl them out, you’re bowling all day. England are guaranteed to bowl all day, and probably a bit tomorrow, looking at the conditions, unless India don’t bat as well as they’ve started. Therefore, you’re backing up. Say India bat 120 overs. They only have to bowl for two sessions [on day two]. You feel like you can control the game more if you bat first."
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Karthik: KL 'at the forefront' of new India
KL Rahul has had a curious Test career, interrupted by a couple of injuries, but has enjoyed success in England before: he is one of three players in this squad with a Test hundred in this country, along with Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant.
59 Test caps won by KL Rahul; only Ravindra Jadeja (81) has more within India's squad.
Dinesh Karthik, on Sky Sports commentary, says he has a huge role to play in Shubman Gill's team.
"We speak about young India and generational change, and he’s at the forefront of it all. If he stays injury-free, here’s his opportunity to play the next five-six years consistently as an opening batter. They see the talent in him; that’s why he’s always there in any big series. If you are the Indian captain, you won’t go to a foreign shore without KL Rahul in your team. But it’s up to him to make it big in a five-Test match series like this: be consistent, be that 500-run getter."
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India up and running
Yashasvi Jaiswal was the leading run-scorer when these two teams lasted played Test cricket 18 months ago, and opens India's account at Leeds. He's not in full control as the ball skews away off the outside half of his bat and runs away behind square, but he gets through Chris Woakes' first over unscathed.
Sid Monga, who is sat next to me at Headingley, wrote this week that a five-match series in England will be another test of Jaiswal's adaptability.
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Karun's comeback
Welcome back to Test cricket, Karun pic.twitter.com/Xzb6BDdef2
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 20, 2025
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Shastri in town
Sidharth Monga at Headingley: When I started in the morning, aiming to make the 8.56am bus from Roundhay Park, it really didn’t look like a Test morning. Then I turned up at my stop to discover the 8.56 had been cancelled. Cricket must be around.
On the bus, I was bumped off my Spotify. That’s because the Amazon Echo Dot at home was using my Spotify to play jazz for the dogs. Jazz must be on when they are alone at home.
At the changeover in city, the new bus got a new driver to add five more minutes to the commute. Two lads dressed for cricket got on. They quizzed each other on cricket before one asked the other, “When do we know who will bat first? An hour before?”
Then they put on a video on their phone. I could hear Ravi Shastri on air, making fun of a kid in the stands eating ice-cream. And then one of them said, “This is going to haunt me through the day.” Thanks Shaz, these kids will be scared of eating ice-cream on this hot day. Good job Shastri is not here.
I finally turn up and what do I see? Shaz at the toss. Cricket must be around.
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England will bowl first
England won the toss and chose to bowl first vs India
B Sai Sudharsan will bat at No. 3 on his Test debut for India against England at Headingley, while Karun Nair returns to international cricket after an eight-year absence. India have picked four seamers for the first Test, including the allrounder Shardul Thakur at No. 8, but it is their batters who will be put to the test on the first morning after Ben Stokes chose to bowl first.
The last six Tests at Headingley have been won by the team bowling first, which might explain Stokes’ decision despite the bright sunshine in Leeds. “Headingley is generally a very good cricket wicket,” Stokes said at the toss. “Hopefully, we can look to use the early conditions, and try to get a bit out of it… We’re all excited, we’re all ready to go.”
Shubman Gill, captaining India for the first time in Tests, said he would have chosen to bowl first, but predicted the pitch would become a “really good batting wicket” after the first session. “The sun is out. It looks like a good batting day for us,” Gill said. “The preparation has been amazing.”
England named their team two days before the toss, with Ollie Pope retaining his spot at No. 3 ahead of Jacob Bethell, and Brydon Carse set to open the bowling with Chris Woakes. Josh Tongue and Stokes are their other seamers, while Shoaib Bashir is their frontline spinner.
Prasidh Krishna joins Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj as India’s third frontline seamer, with Thakur providing an all-round option. Ravindra Jadeja is their only spinner, with Kuldeep Yadav left out.
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Sai Sudharsan gets his cap
Cheteshwar Pujara has presented B Sai Sudharsan with his India cap. He has three ODI caps and one T20I cap to his name, and his Test debut today completes the set. Sudharsan has been a heavy run-scorer in short-form cricket - he won the Orange Cap in IPL 2025 - but he's averaging just below 40 in first-class cricket.
Deivarayan Muthu profiled Sudharsan earlier this month, and wrote about his "insatiable appetite" for cricket.
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Captain Gill gears up
60 seconds of skipper Shubman preparing for his first Test in charge pic.twitter.com/aC9qDxeuKe
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 19, 2025
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Root closes in
208 Catches taken by Joe Root in Test cricket; only Rahul Dravid (210) has more among fielders.
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Stokes predicts 'chaos'
Ben Stokes has encouraged his England players to be “smarter” in their decision-making ahead of this series and after three years of entertainment, delivered a clear message: “It’s about winning.” In his programme notes, England’s captain predicts there will be “chaos” at some stage over the next six weeks.
Any time England play India it is always a huge occasion and when that happens over the course of a five-Test series, things only get bigger.
When two hungry teams come up against each other so frequently in a relatively short space of time, you know it’s going to be a battle and I can’t wait to see some of that chaos unfold.
You can make as many plans as you want, but I know something will come up this summer that we’ve never seen before. Test cricket challenges your ability to react to new situations and take quick decisions and it’s exciting to be in the middle of that.
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Sai Sudharsan set for debut
Nagraj Gollapudi reports that B Sai Sudharsan is set to make his Test debut today, winning cap number 317 and batting at No. 3, while the returning Karun Nair is expected to bat at No. 6.
Shardul Thakur is set to bat at No. 8, with Prasidh Krishna joining Jaspirt Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the seam attack. That would mean no space for Kuldeep Yadav or Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Shubman Gill, India's new captain, said yesterday that he will prioritise wicket-taking in selection over runs from down the order, even if it means picking four genuine tailenders from No. 8-11. It'll be fascinating to see how India's balance evolves through this series.
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Black armbands
ECB statement: Both teams will wear black armbands on Day 1 of the Test match as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash last week in Ahmedabad. A moment’s silence will be observed prior to the respective national anthems.
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Welcome to Leeds
The time for talking is nearly over. After a long build-up, England and India will get the newly-minted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy underway in 90 minutes’ time, with the toss coming up in an hour. There’s a real sense of anticipation and expectation at Headingley, with the crowd starting to filter in.
It’s been unusually warm in Yorkshire this week and it’s a hot, sticky morning by English standards. My weather app suggests temperatures will peak at 29 degrees in the afternoon session. The pitch has some live grass on it but is generally hard and true here, with short boundaries and a fast outfield lending this venue to high scoring rates.
I’ll be on the Live Report throughout the day with all the latest news, analysis, stats and colour from the venue. If you’re looking for our world-famous ball-by-ball commentary, join Ashish Pant here.
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