"I was getting cramps on both hands” - Yashasvi Jaiswal’s massive revelation after 101 in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Team India opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal revealed that he was struggling with cramps on both hands during his sublime hundred on Day 1 of the first Test against England. The southpaw looked in full command in his first-ever international outing in the country after recording 101 runs off 159 balls at Headingley, Leeds.

Jaiswal had a massive responsibility on his shoulders after being tasked with seeing off the new ball and helping the inexperienced batting line-up with a solid start. The left-handed batter, along with KL Rahul, put on 91 runs for the opening wicket in 24.5 overs to help the visitors' cause.

However, in the second session, Jaiswal struggled with his forearm as he began to cramp up. Although the temperatures were not soaring as in the subcontinent, the conditions were still demanding for the players on the field. He sought treatment from the physios twice, who seemingly applied a cold towel to ease the muscles.

Jaiswal even removed his elbow guard after his second round of treatment, when he was inching towards his hundred. He slammed a flurry of boundaries to reach the three-figure landmark, but was dismissed soon after, courtesy of a stunning delivery by Ben Stokes.

"I was getting cramps on both hands. Our preparations were good while playing for India A and at Beckenham (intra-squad). We were discussing about playing a long innings after getting a start. We got a lot of inputs from Gautam sir. So, it was nice to come to such a nice ground and perform," Jaiswal said during the post-day press conference (via NDTV).

Jaiswal recorded 16 fours and a six during his brilliant knock, becoming only the fifth Indian batter to score a hundred in his maiden innings on English soil.

"The strategy was to put away the bad balls" - Yashasvi Jaiswal on Team India's batting strategy on Day 1

The youngster's knock included a series of drives and cuts, and with conditions optimal for batting, the license to take risks was on the offer. He made the most of the sunny conditions, the good batting strip, and England bowlers' lack of potency, to notch yet another meaningful knock overseas.

"The strategy was to put away the bad balls, time, and place the shots well. I was just thinking about handling the situation, where the England team was keeping fielders or in which areas they were bowling. I was just trying to bat accordingly. I was batting as per the needs of the team," the batter said.

India piled misery on England to finish at 359-3 at Stumps on Day 1. Much like the young opening batter, skipper Shubman Gill also coasted his way to a hundred while Rishabh Pant has also played his part with an unbeaten fifty so far.