Yashasvi Jaiswal has etched his name in cricket history yet again, surpassing the legendary Don Bradman for a remarkable feat against England. During the first innings of the ongoing first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds, Jaiswal achieved a record that no other batter in the world has accomplished.
The young Indian opener struck a magnificent century, scoring 101 runs off 159 deliveries, decorated with 16 boundaries and a six. This exceptional performance not only helped India dominate the opening day but also propelled Jaiswal past Don Bradman for the highest Test average against England among batters with a minimum of 500 runs. Jaiswal now boasts an impressive average of 90.33, having amassed 813 runs in just 10 innings against the English side. Sir Don Bradman, who is widely regarded as the greatest batter of all time, had an average of 89.78 against England, scoring 5028 runs in 63 Test innings. This achievement marks Jaiswal as the first player to hold an average above 90 against England in Test cricket.
Moreover, Jaiswal has become the first Indian opener to score a Test century at Headingley, Leeds. He surpassed the previous highest score of 87 by Farokh Engineer in 1967. This milestone further solidifies his status as one of the brightest young stars in world cricket.
This century also marks a unique record for Jaiswal. He is now the first visiting batter in Test history to score a century in his first Test match in both Australia and England. He previously scored a century in his first Test in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Perth. With this, Jaiswal becomes only the fifth Indian to score a century on debut in England, joining the ranks of Sourav Ganguly, Murali Vijay, Sandeep Patil and Vijay Manjrekar. He also becomes the second left-hander to achieve this feat after Ganguly in 1996.
India finished the first day of the Test match in a commanding position, reaching 359/3 at stumps. Shubman Gill contributed a classy unbeaten 127, and Rishabh Pant remained not out on 65. Their combined efforts ensured India's highest-ever first-day total in a Test match on English soil, surpassing their previous best of 338/7 at Edgbaston in 2022.
Jaiswal's journey in Test cricket has been nothing short of extraordinary. In his 20th Test match, he has accumulated 1,899 runs at an impressive average of 54.25, including five centuries and ten half-centuries. Against England alone, he has scored 813 runs in 10 innings, averaging 90.33 with three centuries and three half-centuries.
As the series progresses, Jaiswal has the opportunity to break further records. He is approaching the milestone of 2,000 Test runs and could become the fastest Indian to reach this mark. He also has the chance to surpass Rahul Dravid's record of 602 runs for the most runs by an Indian batter in a Test series in England. Furthermore, he could break the record for the most centuries by a visiting opener in a Test series in England, currently held by Alan Melville, Arthur Morris, and Gordon Greenidge, who each scored three centuries.
