On the first day of the first Test, Manjrekar shared his thoughts on India’s strong start to the five-match series and how it put the visitors in control. Manjrekar commended Gill for overcoming his batting technique deficiencies and being the best player for his team on Day 1 after he scored his first-ever overseas century in his debut appearance as India’s Test captain.
Despite favourable conditions for seamers at the Headingley ground in Leeds, Sanjay Manjrekar was greatly satisfied by the manner the visitors played the entire day and ultimately dominated the Ben Stokes-led team after India had a strong start to the opening Test match against England. On a day when Shubman Gill (127*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101)—two of India’s youngest stars—scored incredible hundreds, India lost 359-3 at Stumps.
I have maintained this regarding the series: many people are enquiring about the score and if India will win or lose. However, I have consistently stated that India stands to win from this series and has nothing to lose. Day 1 alone has already shown us a great deal. Shubman Gill has achieved his first significant international century. Yashasvi Jaiswal has demonstrated that he is capable of performing well on English surfaces in addition to being a powerhouse at home. KL Rahul appeared stable, and Rishabh Pant is currently regaining his form. On JioHotstar’s Match Centre Live, Manjrekar stated, “These are huge positives.”
Against Gill replacing Bumrah as Test captain: Manjrekar
The former Mumbai batsman added that when Gill was first appointed Test captain, he believed that Jasprit Bumrah, an excellent pacer, was a much better choice because he had served as India’s vice-captain under Rohit Sharma and had even taken over as captain during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25 match against Australia. Manjrekar said, though, that Gill’s success was aided by his temperament, which permits him to bat freely and not give leadership any thought.
“To be honest, I was opposed to him being appointed captain. Let me go all the way back to that time. Without looking too far into the future, I believed that Jasprit Bumrah would have been the wiser and more sensible option. At the time, I didn’t believe it was the proper choice. Was Shubman Gill, however, going to be a bad captain? No. It was always evident from his temperament that he would not bring the pressure of captaincy into his batting.
The only issue was that he was still developing, particularly with regard to conditions abroad. He fixed important technical issues today, though, that had previously prevented him from earning a significant overseas hundred. Indeed, the pitch was good and the bowling wasn’t too difficult, but after those technical issues were fixed, his temperament in particular shone out as a strength,” he said.
Manjrekar is impressed by Jaiswal’s defending and counterattack.
Additionally, Manjrekar shared his thoughts on how Yashasvi Jaiswal created the conditions for the middle-order to enjoy their time in the middle and bat more freely. Jaiswal’s century was crucial since India had lost a few fast wickets at lunchtime, but the opener was able to form a crucial partnership with captain Gill and save the team from trouble.
“I am not at all surprised by this performance. In Australia, Jaiswal was India’s top hitter. Playing close to the body, going deep in the crease, and taking anything pitched up—especially from someone like Mitchell Starc—he was the only player who remained steady throughout the series. He is well-versed in his Test game. You will also see the huge shots after he is set. incredibly well-organised. He is a contemporary player, and there are more players like him in India’s top 7. Sai Sudharsan is sadly gone, but you would have seen the same reliable batting technique in him as well. “These players have good techniques for Test matches,” Manjrekar remarked.
Gill and Pant will bat again on Day 2 of the Test, relying on the Headingley surface to guide the team to a respectable score. After that, the bowlers will need to perform at their peak to take the lead over England.
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