India’s grip over the fifth Test at The Oval was built on the back of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s exhilarating hundred, his fourth in overseas Tests and second of the series. Coming in after India had conceded a slender 23-run lead, Jaiswal counter-attacked on a spicy Day 3 surface to wrest the momentum back. His 118 off 164 balls was laced with aggression, flair, and a dash of good fortune; he was dropped three times, but his ability to keep pressure on England’s seamers allowed India to surge towards a position of dominance.
Jaiswal opened the innings alongside KL Rahul after England had just collapsed dramatically on Day 2, and the visitors were keen to capitalise. Despite losing Rahul early at the other end, Jaiswal responded with aggression, unleashing his full range of strokes. The pitch flattened slightly on the third day but still offered movement, and Jaiswal’s clarity in shot selection proved crucial.
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His century, brought up with a single off Gus Atkinson, was met with roars from the stands and an emotional celebration as he acknowledged the crowd and his family.
Amid the ovation, there was a familiar face in the crowd: former Test captain Rohit Sharma, watching an Indian match live for the first time since announcing his retirement from Test cricket. Rohit’s presence justifiably didn’t go unnoticed, and after stumps, Jaiswal revealed a brief but meaningful interaction with the former skipper.
{{/usCountry}}Amid the ovation, there was a familiar face in the crowd: former Test captain Rohit Sharma, watching an Indian match live for the first time since announcing his retirement from Test cricket. Rohit’s presence justifiably didn’t go unnoticed, and after stumps, Jaiswal revealed a brief but meaningful interaction with the former skipper.
{{/usCountry}}"I saw Rohit bhai and said hi. He gave me the message to keep playing," Jaiswal told reporters after the day’s play.
Jaiswal formed an opening duo with Rohit Sharma since making his debut in Test cricket nearly two years ago, and shares a healthy relationship with the former Indian captain off the field.
'Keep getting messages from senior players'
At 23, Jaiswal has already spent valuable time learning from India’s seasoned greats.
"I think that's how you need to plan your game. I need to plan my game, my innings, where my shots are and where I'm going to score runs. So, of course, I keep getting all these messages and playing with the seniors as long as I have played with Rohit Bhai, Virat Bhai. So, playing with them as well helped me a lot grow as a person and seeing them, what they have done in Test cricket, how they have prepared themselves," he said.
Jaiswal’s hundred came with an air of inevitability once he settled in, but it ended in a manner he may look back at with regret. Attempting a well-timed upper cut off Josh Tongue, a shot that had served him well all innings, he failed to find the gap and was caught by Jamie Overton at third man.