Gill launches India captaincy reign in style with hundred against England
India -- sent into bat by England captain Ben Stokes -- were in the commanding position of 359-3 at close of play on the first day of this five-Test series.
Gill was 127 not out after sharing a stand of 129 for the third wicket with opener Jaiswal, dismissed for 101 shortly after tea.
The aggressive Rishabh Pant was 65 not out, including an extraordinary swiped six off Chris Woakes in the last over of the day as he piled on the agony for England during an unbroken stand of 138 with his new skipper.
"It was very, very good and we all did well today," Jaiswal told Sky Sports after the close as he hailed Gill's innings by saying: "He played amazingly. He was very composed and calm all the time."
This was a chastening start to the new World Test Championship cycle for England following South Africa's victory over Australia in last week's final at Lord's.
"It was a tough day," said England bowling coach Tim Southee. "We will come back tomorrow and try to make some inroads."
The former New Zealand paceman added: "The openers did well early on, particularly Rahul....There were two great knocks, Jaiswal and Pant are class players."
Concerns had been expressed before the series about how India would cope in England without Rohit Sharma, Gill's predecessor as captain, and Virat Kohli after the two star batsmen retired from Test duty within days of each other last month.
Yet such is the depth of talent in cricket-obsessed India, quality replacements were always likely to be available.
Stokes' decision to field may have been influenced by the fact the last six Tests at Headingley have been won by the team batting second.
But England, without retired greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad and missing injured express quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, rarely threatened on a good batting pitch under increasingly sunny skies.
Woakes was given the new ball after returning in place of the injured Gus Atkinson but his 19 wicketless overs cost 89 runs, with all-rounder Stokes' 2-43 in 13 making him the pick of England's attack.
Sublime stroke-play
Jaiswal and opening partner KL Rahul got India off to a fine start in their quest for just a fourth Test series win in England after triumphs in 1971, 1986 and 2007.
England, however, enjoyed a double strike shortly before lunch as 91-0 was transformed into 92-2.
Rahul (42) carelessly edged a wide ball from Brydon Carse to Joe Root at first slip before Sai Sudharsan fell for a duck on Test debut when caught down the legside by diving wicketkeeper Jamie Smith off Stokes.
But India's third-wicket duo regained the initiative with sublime stroke-play.
Stokes brought on Shoaib Bashir to add variety but the off-spinner's first ball was cuffed for four by left-hander Jaiswal, who 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.
It also meant the 23-year-old had scored hundreds on his Test debut, his first Test in Australia and first in England.
Jaiswal, however, was out when bowled by a fine Stokes delivery from around the wicket that angled in and held its line.
Pant, however, thumped Stokes back over his head for four off just his second ball.
The 25-year-old Gill completed his century with a superb cover-driven four off fast bowler Josh Tongue, his 14th boundary in 140 balls faced.
As he admired the shot, Gill ripped off his helmet in celebration of his sixth hundred in 33 Tests and third against England.
Gill later pulled Tongue over Bashir's head at fine leg for six and was just shy of his highest Test score of 128 at stumps.
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.
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The tourists enjoyed an ideal start to the five-match series, reaching stumps on the opening day in the dominant position of 359-3 as opener Jaiswal (101) and new captain Shubman Gill (127 not out) took a toll of England's attack. Gill said at the toss he would have fielded first had the coin come down in his favour. However, the decision to insert India by home captain Ben Stokes was branded as "staggering" by former England skipper Michael Vaughan -- who spent his entire senior career at Headingley, the headquarters of Yorkshire. Not that 23-year-old left-hander Jaiswal, who last year scored a mammoth 712 runs in a home series win over England, was complaining. "It was very special, it meant a lot to me," he said. "I just wanted to get in and do something for my team, for my country and for myself after the work I have put it. I loved it." Reflecting on Gill's hundred -- his first innings at this level since succeeding Rohit Sharma as Test captain, Jaiswal said: "He played amazingly. He was very composed and calm all the time." The last six Tests at Headingley have been won by the team fielding first, but Vaughan was adamant Stokes should have batted. "I'm an old-school traditionalist here at Leeds: when the sun is shining, with dry weather, you bat," he said. "I was staggered when he (Stokes) said he was going to bowl," added Vaughan, commentating on the match for the BBC. "Traditions are out the window. You look at the England side and their strength is in the batting. "There is inexperience in the bowling at the moment, but Ben clearly had a gut feeling, and sometimes that has worked." Moreover, Vaughan warned there was no guarantee England be on level terms at the end of their first innings given India's attack is led by outstanding fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. "We won't know for sure until we see Jasprit Bumrah bowl on it (the pitch)," added Vaughan. "He can bowl you out with anything. "Until I see that, I will hold my judgment on how flat this pitch is." England bowling consultant Tim Southee admitted it had been a tough day at the office for the home attack, with the recently retired New Zealand paceman saying: "When you win the toss and bowl you expect to make early inroads, but the Indian openers negotiated that first hour or so pretty well." He added: "You look at the surface and make the decision based on what you think will give you the best chance. "Not all the time do you get it right. But credit to the Indian batsmen, in particular Jaiswal and Gill, they played a couple of great hands."
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