Yashasvi Jaiswal only exception; Sunil Gavaskar miffed over frustrating pattern in India vs England Tests
Sunil Gavaskar reflected on the batting performance of the Yashasvi Jaiswal-starrer Indian side after the 2nd Test against England.
Overshadowing England's 'Bazeballers' with the willow, youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal played the innings of his career to restore parity for Team India in the five-match Test series. As Jaiswal has taken to Test cricket like a fish to water, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for the young opener after India outclassed Ben Stokes and Co. in the 2nd Test at Vizag on Monday. Opener Jaiswal smashed a record-setting double century while speedster Jasprit Bumrah produced a reverse swing-bowling masterclass to ensure Virat Kohli-less Team India crushed England after losing the Hyderabad opener.
Jaiswal's brilliant double ton was followed by Shubman Gill's return-to-form act in the 2nd innings. Gill's match-altering century paved the way for Team India to set a match-winning target against England. Reflecting on India's batting performance in the 2nd Test, former skipper Gavaskar explained how Jaiswal bailed India out in Visakhapatnam. Jaiswal achieved his career-best score of 179 on the first day of the 2nd Test before he notched up his maiden double century against England.
‘Yashasvi Jaiswal showed he is a quick learner’: Gavaskar
“Yashasvi Jaiswal showed he is a quick learner by making sure he didn’t miss out on a hundred as he did in the first Test match by scoring a magnificent double century in the second Test. India certainly needed someone to hold the innings together with a big century as once again most of the other batters got going like they did in the first Test and then gifted their wickets away,” Gavaskar mentioned in his Mid-Day column.
Jaiswal joins Lara
Jaiswal smashed 209 off 290 balls in Team India's 106-run win over England. The Indian opener smoked seven sixes and fired 19 fours in his entertaining knock. The 22-year-old is the third youngest Indian to slam a Test double ton. Jaiswal's teammate Gill registered the second-highest score in India's 1st innings. Thanks to Indian batters' poor outing in the 1st innings, Jaiswal joined legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara in an exclusive club. Only Lara and Jaiswal have gone on to score a double ton when none of their teammates crossed the 34-run mark in a Test innings. Lara hammered Australia with his 226-run knock at Adelaide in 2005.
'Temperament of batters can be badly affected'
“With the advent of T20 cricket and the need there to play unexpected shots, the temperament of the batters can sometimes be badly affected. The thinking that they can play an unorthodox shot and get away with it regularly can and does get them out. Test cricket is a five-day format and while most Test matches finish well within that and often with a day or so to spare, as was seen by the unforgettable innings from Ollie Pope and now from young Jaiswal, there is scope to play a match-defining and game-changing innings,” Gavaskar added.
