England come back strongly after Indian openers add 91

England dealt India a double whammy late in the first session to retaliate strongly after Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul put on a 91-run opening stand. It changed the complexion of the game on the first morning at Headingley with the visitors heading to Lunch at 92/2.

After the new captain Shubman Gill lost the toss and Ben Stokes opted for the first bite at the cherry, India’s openers started on a cautionary note while making sure they do not let anything loose pass by. Yashasvi was tested with the ball curving into his pads a couple of times but he managed to keep it out. Few drives were slashed uppishly through gully, inducing theatrics from the hosts, but the nervous moments came far and few in between during the first hour.

The sublime drives instead made for pleasant viewing on an unusually warm day in Leeds. India’s run-scoring was largely down to the boundaries with as many as nine being hit in the first hour itself. England squandered a review against Yashasvi for an LBW appeal after Josh Tongue, the first-change quick, struck him on the pads from round the wicket. However, the angle meant the ball was pitched outside leg and doing too much.

England were also guilty of overpitching often in that first hour in the quest for an edge and giving away more boundaries as a direct consequence. For the first time in the last seven Tests at Headingley, a wicket hadn’t fallen in the first ten overs of the match. As the session wore on, the right-left combination grew in confidence and increased the frequency of shotmaking but the consistent movement meant that a wicket was always round the corner.

Jaiswal and Rahul forged a near-perfect session for India before the cover drive spelt doom for Rahul with minutes to go for the Lunch break. Carse’s incision lifted England’s spirits as debutant Sai Sudharsan walked out to partner the well-set Jaiswal. The Test debut of the prolific run-getter didn’t begin as he would’ve hoped with a soft dismissal off Stokes allowing England to pull things back in the nick of time.

Brief Scores: India 92/2 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 42*, KL Rahul 42; Ben Stokes 1-20) vs England.

Broadcast Schedule

England v India 2025 Test Series
ENG v IND, 3rd Test, Lord's
10th July to 14th July
Start time: 11:00 am BST
ENG v IND 4th Test, Old Trafford
23rd July to 27th July
Start time: 11:00 am BST
ENG v IND 5th Test, The Oval
31st July to 4th August
Start time: 11:00 am BST