In cricket, irrespective of the format, a good opening stand always goes a long way in helping a team win the battle. It’s no different in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. However, a strong opening start has eluded India on most occasions so far on this tour of England.
That, despite KL Rahul having done his job with two centuries and a fifty, averaging 62.50. Yashasvi Jaiswal, too, has a hundred and an 87 in six innings, but what
has hurt India is the left-hander’s inconsistency and shot selection.
At Edgbaston, England captain Ben Stokes lured a well-set Jaiswal into slashing outside the off-stump, and the latter was caught behind. In the second innings, Jaiswal tried to drive a delivery shaping in from Josh Tongue, which he should have
looked to defend. Result: trapped LBW.
His dismissals against the run of play in the second Test didn’t matter much as India managed to win the game convincingly. But at Lord’s, in the second innings, even a 30-35-run knock from Jaiswal could have aided India. But he was out trying an ambitious pull against Jofra Archer, a shot that was absolutely unnecessary in the situation. Maybe he was a bit rattled after being beaten by Chris Woakes a few times in the previous over. Temperament?
With India trailing 1-2 and needing a win in Manchester to keep alive their hopes of a series victory, Jaiswal’s role at the top remains important. If he’s there at the crease for a longer period, it eases the pressure on the remaining batters because he scores runs at a decent pace.
The pitch for the fourth Test in Manchester is expected to be easy-paced, but result-oriented, according to some experts from England. Regardless of the nature of the Old Trafford surface, not playing his shots isn’t the best option for Jaiswal. If a stroke-maker like him goes at an extremely slow strike rate, that could well be counterproductive. There needs to be a balance between attack and defence.
If the ball is in his arc, Jaiswal needs to attack. Scoring on the off-side is his strength, so if he gets room and width outside the off-stump, he needs to latch onto it.
A few days still remain for the penultimate Test of the series, and it gives the 23-year-old that extra bit of time to return with a fresher mind. The rigours of back-to-back Tests often tend to test the mind more than the body. It’s more about mental fatigue rather than technical deficiency.
The shot selection part aside, twice Jaiswal has been dismissed on being squared up by the delivery seaming away. Brydon Carse did it in the second innings in Leeds, while Archer had him during the first essay at Lord’s. In Australia, too, he had faced a similar problem, especially against Scott Boland.
An opener’s job in Australian and English conditions is never easy. That said, there are certain subtle and fractional adjustments an opener needs to be mindful of in terms of his stance.
Adjusting between an open and side-on stance during his stay at the crease could well be of help for Jaiswal. The open stance may help in dealing with the ball coming back into him, while being side-on could prevent getting squared up. What Jaiswal also needs is a little bit of fortune to survive against the new ball.
Managing concentration is as much a skill as strokeplay and defence. The quicker Jaiswal realises that, the better it is for him and his team.