India match Australia’s 70-year-old record in Headingley Test

India created history during the first Test against England at Headingley by matching Australia’s 70-year-old record of scoring the most centuries in an away Test.

Four Indian batters — Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal — combined to produce five individual centuries in the match, showcasing the strength of the team’s new batting unit under captain Gill.

This feat equals the record set by Australia back in 1955 during the Kingston Test against West Indies, when Colin McDonald, Neil Harvey, Keith Miller, Ron Archer, and Richie Benaud each scored a century in the same match.

For India, the run-scoring began with Jaiswal (101) and Gill (147) in the first innings. In the second innings, KL Rahul struck 137, while Rishabh Pant added twin centuries — 134 in the first innings and 118 in the second — becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to achieve this rare milestone.

Pant’s performance also puts him alongside Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower as the only wicketkeepers in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a match. Flower had achieved the feat in 2001 against South Africa, with scores of 142 and 199*.

India's strong batting performance has been a major highlight of the Test, especially considering this is their first series in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle and the start of a new chapter after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

England's bowling attack — featuring Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Ben Stokes, and Shoaib Bashir — struggled to contain the Indian batters throughout the match, allowing India to dominate across both innings.

India’s outstanding batting display has not only given them the upper hand in the match but also etched their name alongside one of the longest-standing records in Test cricket history.