The Japan Times - Ton-up Jaiswal makes England toil in first Test as India take control

India dominated the bulk of the morning's play after being sent into bat, only to lose two wickets in quick succession as they ended the session on 92-2.

By tea on the first day of the opening Test in a five-match series, India were firmly back in control on 215-2, with 23-year-old opener Jaiswal 100 not out.

Gill, in his first innings as skipper since succeeding the retired Rohit Sharma, was also in fine form on 58 not out.

The pair had so far shared an unbroken partnership of 123 in 25.2 overs, with India going through the second session without losing a wicket.

England captain Ben Stokes' decision to bowl, which may have been influenced by the fact the last six Tests at Headingley have all been won by the team batting second, meant England did not have to face India's star paceman Jasprit Bumrah at the start of the match.

It also gave England a chance to strike an early blow against an India top order without experienced batsmen Rohit and Virat Kohli after the pair retired from Test cricket within days of each other last month.

But an England attack without retired greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad and missing injured express quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, rarely threatened on a good pitch.

Chris Woakes, sidelined by an ankle problem earlier in the season, returned to take the new ball in place of the injured Gus Atkinson, with Brydon Carse given a home debut in the other change to the England side that beat Zimbabwe recently.

- Sublime stroke-play -

Jaiswal and Rahul seized on anything loose as India made a stylish start to their quest for just a fourth Test series win in England after their triumphs in 1971, 1986 and 2007.

With India's openers approaching a century partnership, England made a double strike.

Rahul, on 42, drove loosely at a wide ball from Carse and edged to Joe Root at first slip

Moments later, number three Sai Sudharsan joined the long list of batsmen who have made a duck on Test debut when a glance off Stokes was well caught by diving wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

But India's third-wicket duo seized back the momentum with a century stand full of sublime stroke-play.

Gill was especially severe on Woakes as he on-drove and cut the all-rounder for commanding boundaries before completing a 56-ball fifty -- his quickest in Tests -- with a pulled four off Josh Tongue.

Stokes brought on Shoaib Bashir to add variety to his attack but the off-spinner's first ball was cuffed through the covers for four by Jaiswal.

Jaiswal appeared to suffer several bouts of cramp before he went to 99 with two superb boundaries off Carse.

A quick single took an elated Jaiswal to a 144-ball hundred, including 16 fours, as he completed his fifth century in 20 Tests and third against England.

Before play both teams and the match officials observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed all but one of 242 people on board, with players also wearing black armbands as a mark of respect.

K.Hashimoto--JT