NEW DELHI: India were bowled out for a formidable 471 in their first innings of the opening Test against England at Headingley, with three centurions — captain Shubman Gill, vice-captain Rishabh Pant, and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal — leading the charge.
Jaiswal (101) and KL Rahul (42) provided a solid foundation with a 91-run opening stand, setting the tone for India’s innings. Gill (147) and Pant (134) then took over, stitching together a 209-run partnership for the fourth wicket, taking the game away from the hosts with a mix of grit and flair.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pant was the most aggressive of the trio, blasting 12 fours and six sixes in his 134 off 178 balls. It marked his seventh Test century — the most by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in the format, surpassing MS Dhoni’s record of six.
The milestone moment came in style as Pant launched Shoaib Bashir over the ropes on the first ball of the 100th over to reach his century.
One of Pant’s six towering sixes even landed in the stands, where a security official caught it cleanly — prompting cheers from the Headingley crowd and a warm smile and wave from the lucky catcher, whose moment of joy was captured on camera.
This was Pant’s first Test hundred since September 2024, when he scored 109 against Bangladesh.
Pant’s latest innings also saw him cross 3,000 Test runs. In 44 matches, he now averages close to 44, with 15 half-centuries to go with his seven tons.
MS Dhoni, in comparison, scored 4,876 runs in 90 Tests, with six centuries and 33 fifties at an average of 38.09 — remaining the highest run-getter among Indian wicketkeepers in Tests. Following Pant and Dhoni on the list are Wriddhiman Saha (2 centuries), Syed Kirmani (2), Farokh Engineer (2), and Nayan Mongia (1).
The strong start by Gill and Co. also marks India’s confident entry into the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle.
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India vs England Test match here.
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