Leeds: Headingley ground in Leeds, England is considered very difficult for batting. No team has reached a score of 500 on this ground since 2007. The Indian team faced England here in 2021. In the first innings, the team was bundled out for just 78 runs. Initially, the pitch helps the fast bowlers a lot. In the last 6 Tests, the first wicket fell within 10 overs in the first innings on this ground. The ball swings and that is why England won the toss and decided to bowl in the first match of the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy against India.
Yashasvi and Rahul stuck
Indian team openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul had different intentions. Both looked set from the very first ball. They did not give any chance to the bowlers and England kept struggling for wickets. Both opened their hands when they got the opportunity. Team India scored 44 runs in the first hour of the first session. Then a half-century partnership was completed between the two. Rahul was out after scoring 42 runs shortly before the lunch break.
50+ partnership after 2012
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 91 runs for the first wicket. This is the first time since 2012 on the Leeds ground that the opening pair made a partnership of 50 or more runs in the first session of the first day. Earlier, Graeme Smith and Alviro Peterson had done this for South Africa. This pair had added 120 runs.
This opening partnership is historic for India. After 39 years, the Indian opening pair has made a partnership of 50 or more runs on the Leeds ground. The last time an Indian pair did this was in 1986. Then the pair of Sunil Gavaskar and K Srikanth had added 64 runs. India won that match by 279 runs.
