Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, like many of his teammates, arrived in Leeds for the first Test against England with limited recent red-ball cricket exposure, a consequence of the intensive two-month IPL season. However, the 23-year-old emphasized the critical importance of mentally adapting between formats.

"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," Jaiswal said in the media briefing after the end of play on Day 1 of the first Test match at Headingly.

India commenced their five-Test series against England with an emphatic display on Friday, finishing Day 1 at an impressive 359 for 3, propelled by magnificent milestone centuries from new captain Shubman Gill and Jaiswal.

Gill scored 127 not out, marking his first century outside of Asia and his maiden Test hundred as India's skipper. He led from the front, showcasing both composure and aggression.

Jaiswal's fluent 101 made him the first opening batter from an Asian nation to achieve a Test century at the historic Headingley ground, continuing his remarkable run of form in overseas conditions.

Jaiswal acknowledged the constant challenges in cricket, noting they vary at different stages. "I was trying to trust my process and mindset and was trying to express myself. To switch mentally is very important as in how you think or in which environment you are in. It helps you to enjoy the game when you are playing under pressure," he added.

Jaiswal expressed his elation after achieving his maiden Test century on English soil, crediting skipper Shubman Gill for fostering a composed atmosphere during their partnership. He also admitted that recent practice matches for India A and an intra-squad game against the senior side were instrumental in helping him acclimatize to the conditions.

"Whenever I make a century, wherever it is, I enjoy it. I love it as all my centuries are special. But of course, there are some special moments... first (century in England)," Jaiswal remarked, visibly overjoyed.

Reflecting on his partnership with Gill, he said, "We were speaking a lot in the middle and we were trying to take it session by session and try and get as many runs as possible. There was an amazing camaraderie between us. It was amazing to bat with him (Gill) and the way he batted, calm and composed, I enjoyed it a lot and it was helping me."

Despite battling cramps in both hands, Jaiswal highlighted the team's preparation. "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," he concluded.