Yashasvi Jaiswal stands tall in his young Test career not just because he already has seven hundreds in less than 50 innings, but also because five of those hundreds have been scores of 150 or above.
In an era that’s plagued by poor temperament, thanks to the riches that slam-bang cricket offers, Jaiswal is indeed turning out to be a mountain that stands steady in the face of Test cricket’s tough scrutiny.
The 23-year-old added another feather to his Test cap on Friday as he remained unbeaten on 173 on the opening day of the second and final Test against the West Indies.
India, expectedly, bossed over their Caribbean counterparts as they finished the day on 318/2. Besides Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan was the other notable contributor to the scorecard, making 87 coming in at No. 3. Captain Shubman Gill was the other not out batter at the crease, looking steady on 20.
The day, however, belonged exclusively to Jaiswal. He batted as per the demands of the deliveries, his precision in shot selection standing out.
Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak expressed his admiration for Jaiswal while lauding the opener’s innings at the media conference after the day’s play.
“The way he (Jaiswal) approached his innings was brilliant. According to the wicket, the way he adapted, the shots he decided on that wicket, what he felt with the bounce and the pace of the wicket, was brilliant,” Kotak said.
Jaiswal hit a total of 22 boundaries on Friday and none of them were accidental. He was always in control, devoting that time to his shots that Test cricket demands. It was this confidence that perhaps also rubbed off on Sudharsan who hasn’t been in flamboyant form of late. The two shared a 193-run stand for the second wicket.
India captain Shubman Gill (Right) and West Indies' Tevin Imlach react after a collision on the opening day
But while Sudharsan fell 13 short of his maiden Test hundred, Jaiswal did not miss out on his seventh Test ton.
A break-up of Jaiswal’s innings would show that he had a plan on how to pace his innings to perfection. His first fifty came off 82 balls and he was a bit cautious in his approach. Gaining in confidence, he was slightly on the aggressive side for his next fifty, which came off 63 balls. Post his century, he was totally in control, but that didn’t mean he went berserk with his shots. His third fifty came in 79 balls.
As for his shots, be it the square cut or the copybook cover drive, Jaiswal was
almost picture perfect at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.
“For me, the most important aspect happened to be how determined he was about playing a big innings,” Kotak said in praise of Jaiswal.
“It is that determination and belief that even after not being so aggressive, he is batting on 173. So that shows how well he batted.
“I think a player like him, or any player at this level, will obviously see the conditions, see the wicket, assess the bounce, see the bowlers and then probably they
will target the areas. So I think he did brilliantly today,” Kotak added.
As for the West Indies, the less said the better. Their bowlers could hardly challenge the class of the Indian batters.
A bit disciplined during the first hour’s play, the Caribbean bowlers soon slipped to mediocrity as the day progressed. The potential wicket-taking deliveries were few and far between. Half-volley or over-pitched stuff are never going to trouble batters like Jaiswal.
But then, the kind of class that Jaiswal exhibited on Friday, he perhaps would have ruled even a better bowling attack.