India’s promising young duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill delivered commanding performances on the opening day of the second Test against England, guiding their team to a solid 310/5 at stumps. Their efforts earned high praise from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who lauded the two batters for their composure, intent and execution.
On a day that began under overcast conditions, England opted to bowl first with an unchanged side, while India made three strategic changes to deepen their batting lineup. The decision was soon put to test as KL Rahul departed early, but Jaiswal’s fluent 87 and Gill’s unbeaten 114 proved pivotal.
Tendulkar, taking to X (formerly Twitter), wrote:
“@ybj_19 set the tone from ball one. He was positive, fearless and smartly aggressive. @ShubmanGill was cool as ever, calm under pressure, solid in defence and in total control. Classy knocks from both. Well played, boys!”
Jaiswal set the tone in the morning, showcasing elegant strokeplay even as England’s seamers — led by Chris Woakes — extracted movement and bounce. His knock laid the foundation with two important 50-plus stands with Karun Nair and Gill. Though India briefly stumbled in the evening session, Gill’s resilient century and his unbroken 99-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (41)* ensured a strong finish to the day.
Speaking at the end of play, Jaiswal praised his captain:
“It’s just incredible to see him bat. As a captain too, he has been amazing. He’s very clear in his approach and we’re all confident in the direction the team is heading.” Gill’s century also drew respect from the opposition. England’s Chris Woakes admitted they felt close to dismissing him at one point, but acknowledged the batter’s dominance:
“It felt like we were close to getting him lbw… but other than that, he was in complete control. It’s a very good hundred and a big one for his team.” With the match finely poised, all eyes will now be on how India capitalizes on this strong start as the second day unfolds.
