India slightly snuck into the country four weeks ago, dribs and drabs getting an A tour under way before the bulk of the first-teamers landed and began playing intra-squad cricket. The delayed finish to the Indian Premier League commanded eyeballs, then the World Test Championship final last week. All told, it was a soft launch.
But on day one of this summer’s marquee series, the tourists announced their arrival with a flex of the muscles and an eruption of runs. Sublime centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) and Shubman Gill (127 not out) had driven England potty and taken India to 359 for three at stumps. Gill’s first outing as captain was an unqualified success – not least because the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma barely got a mention.
