Young Jaiswal takes guard for South Africa challenge

Only 21, the left-handed opener has already proved his credentials in all formats. Facing the Proteas will be the next big step in his international career.

“You belong here. You have done the hard yards, enjoy your time here.” This was Rohit Sharma’s comforting message to Yashasvi Jaiswal when the latter walked out for his maiden Test innings on the tour of the Caribbean in July. By the time Jaiswal’s first knock for India came to an end after more than eight hours at the crease, he had certainly shown he belongs. On a sluggish track at Windsor Park in Dominica where West Indies were skittled for 150 in the first innings, the 21-year-old outscored the opposition by racking up 171 runs himself.

Indian player Yashasvi Jaiswal at a warm-up session (PTI)

Jaiswal had gone into the Test series on the back of a two-month T20 diet in the Indian Premier League, but when the time came to dig in and grind, he was ready to consume 387 deliveries on way to making the highest score by an Indian debutant in an overseas Test.

If this was Jaiswal exhibiting all the characteristics of a quintessential Test batter, he has spent most of the other months this year bashing the ball to all parts. While a double hundred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy – the domestic 50-over competition – in 2019 was an early pointer to his ball-striking ability, he hadn’t amassed the volume of runs at the desired strike rate in his first three IPL seasons to be viewed as a serious T20 prospect. That changed this season when he smashed 625 runs in 14 games at an average of 48.08 and a strike rate of 163.61 for Rajasthan Royals.

Opening with Buttler

The left-handed opener even managed to outpace his captain and T20 supremo, Jos Buttler, in a majority of their partnerships. Buttler strikes at close to 150 after 96 IPL matches, but the England white-ball skipper was happy to play second fiddle and let Jaiswal bask in the spotlight. It spoke of Buttler’s magnanimity as much as Jaiswal’s belligerence.

Particularly impressive was Jaiswal’s 98* off 47 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, during which he hit the fastest fifty in IPL history (13 balls). He also struck his maiden IPL ton — a 62-ball 124 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.

His blistering returns in IPL 2023 may suggest a newly acquired ability to raise his tempo, but his Mumbai teammates were long aware of Jaiswal’s range and flexibility. When he plundered 203 against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2019, for instance, he was just 17 and yet able to hit 12 sixes.

“When he came in as a 16 or 17-year-old, he was quite strong and a big lad for his age. Before playing the U-19 World Cup, he came into the Mumbai senior team and scored around 500-600 runs in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy,” said former Mumbai captain Aditya Tare, who opened the innings alongside Jaiswal during that huge knock. “Right from the moment he came in and we saw him bat, everyone knew he had the game to go to the next level.”

Tare remembers Jaiswal hitting pacer Varun Aaron, capable of touching 150 kph at his peak, for straight sixes. “He always had that (power) game. He was clearing long-off and long-on against Aaron quite easily. Against spin too, he could sweep and slog sweep. He could step out and hit a six. So, he had the all-round game back then as well,” said Tare.

Overcoming early hurdles

Jaiswal, who moved from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai in his early teens amid many hardships, finished his maiden Vijay Hazare campaign as the fifth highest run-getter — 564 runs in six matches (avg 112.8, S/R 104.05). A few months later, Jaiswal starred in the 2020 U-19 World Cup, scoring 400 runs in six innings in South Africa to finish as the tournament’s leading run-scorer.

Jaiswal, with a wispy moustache and a wise head, returns to South Africa with plenty at stake as a potential all-format batting star. With Sharma rested for the white-ball leg, the T20 series sees Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad battling for the opening slots. As a left-hander who has grabbed nearly every opportunity so far, Jaiswal will fancy his chance of taking that flight to the Caribbean and United States in June for the T20 World Cup.

Soon after the three T20s versus South Africa Jaiswal will brace up for perhaps the sternest test of his young career — he is likely to partner Sharma in the Test series against a hostile attack led by Kagiso Rabada in seam-friendly conditions.

“He plays a lot of shots straight down the ground. He has got a solid game in front of the wicket. That will always make him a good player in all three formats. He will face bigger challenges. We will see when he faces challenging conditions in South Africa about how he overcomes that,” said Tare.

If the need arises in any of the two Tests, Jaiswal will be just as comfortable buckling down for the long haul. In the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Uttar Pradesh in 2021/22, Jaiswal took 54 balls to get off the mark in the second innings on way to 181, recalled Tare.

“His determination to bat long stands out,” Tare said. “If he has to hang in, he will do it at any cost. His ability to score big runs and adapt to different formats stands out. He has shown both sides of his game and that is an amazing quality to have.”