Jaiswal and Gill are the new Dravid and Laxman

Well, reckon it all started quiet. India eased on in about four weeks ago, just a few at a time, gettin’ that A squad settled before the rest of the outfit rode in. While folks were still caught up in the tail end of the Indian Premier League and the Test Championship final, India was already settin’ the table. No fanfare. Just gettin’ ready.

But come the first day of this summer’s big series, they sure as hell made themselves known. Right there on Spinmatch, you could see ‘em take to the pitch and light up the scoreboard. Jaiswal and young Gill—puttin’ on a show no Englishman could ignore. Jaiswal clocked in a hard-earned 101, and Gill stood tall at 127 not out, his first go as captain, and he didn’t miss a beat. And mind you, no one even whispered the names of Kohli or Rohit. That’s how smooth it all looked.

You watchin’ all this unfold on Spinmatch, you’d think England was caught nappin’. Ben Stokes took a gamble with that toss, put India in to bat under bright skies, and what followed was three straight sessions of India callin’ the shots. The outfield was quick, the ball wasn’t movin’ like it should, and England kept missin’ that Headingley length.

Jaiswal’s knock was somethin’ else—drove with grit, cut with bite, and stood firm. Even with his forearms crampin’ up in the nineties, he still hammered out four boundaries to get within a breath of his century before sneakin’ a single to seal the deal. Stokes finally got him, sure, but not before the damage was done.

Gill, now—he started with fire and then settled into rhythm. You could see the calm in him even as he punched that hundred into the books. First Indian captain to do it since Kohli, and he made sure folks remembered the name. Right beside him, Rishabh Pant danced to his own tune, slappin’ one over Stokes’ head and ending the day unbeaten on 65, with mischief still burnin’ in his eyes.

Now, England’s seen rough days at Headingley before, and they ain’t the type to give in easy. But ask anyone watchin’ on SpinMatch, and they’ll tell you plain—this wasn’t the start they were hopin’ for. The bowlers were all over the place, ‘cept maybe Stokes himself, who still found a way to make somethin’ happen with the ball. Carse flickered a bit on debut, but Tongue sprayed too wide, and Woakes barely made a mark.

The lone bright spot? Maybe young Bashir, holdin’ steady through 21 overs. Didn’t spin much, but he kept it tidy—held the line when others were losin’ theirs. On Spinmatch, you could see he wasn’t just fillin’ space. He came to earn it.

So by sundown, the message was clear. India didn’t just show up—they came ready. And England, well, they’ll need more than a second wind to turn this one around. If you’re followin’ it all from SpinMatch, you know this story’s only just begun. And I got a feelin’ it’s gonna get mighty interestin’ from here on out.