Always Knew That I Could Bat: Jayant Yadav

Dec 27, 2016 at 12:33 PM

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Always Knew That I Could Bat: Jayant Yadav

When Jayant Yadav replaced Amit Mishra in the playing XI for the second Test against England, he was primarily seen as a bowler who would play a supporting role Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. But now that the series has ended, it is quite safe to say he will become an indispensable part of the team in the coming days. The Haryana all-rounder finished the series with nine wickets in the three games that he played but more than that, it was his batting that impressed everyone. The right-handed batsman contributed with the willow in almost every match and scored 221 runs at an average of 73.66, which included a hundred and fifty.

Jayant Yadav has been tipped by many as a future all-rounder and the 26-year-old, in an interview with the Times of India, said he always had the belief to do well with the bat.

“I always knew that I could bat. It all started with the double hundred I scored (in a Ranji game) for Haryana, and after that, I had the added responsibility (of doing well with the bat too). Viru bhai [Virender Sehwag], who was leading us in that season sent me to bat at No 4. During the India ‘A’ games as well – I batted at No 6 or No 7. Credit should go to my coach Rahul Dravid for letting me explore my batting abilities. Until and unless you go out there and bat under pressure, you won’t know what you are capable of. This season I have been working a lot on my batting and it is paying me dividends,” he said.

Jayant, who played under Rahul Dravid during his stint with India A, also had a word of praise for the legendary batsman.

“With Rahul bhai, you can talk on anything related to cricket. You can discuss with him about the mental space you are in, what you feel is lacking (in your game) and what’s going for you. He takes into account everything and gives his ideas. If you like it, you can take it or you need not. That’s the best part about Rahul bhai. He just lets you be,” he revealed.

He has enjoyed quite a fruitful two years which has seen him getting selected into the national team. He first caught the attention when he scored a century in his very first Ranji Trophy match in 2015-16 after coming to bat at No. 4. In the same match, the off-spinner took a six-fer before taking eight wickets for Rest of India against Mumbai in the Irani Cup. He was duly rewarded for his consistent performances when he was picked in the India A side for the Australia tour earlier this year. The ease with which he played the Australian bowlers on the bouncy pitches showed the glimpse of his immense batting potential. After that, there was no looking back as he was selected in the ODI squad for the New Zealand series before making his Test debut at Vizag.

Speaking about the journey, he said:“I feel the structure we have in place is excellent. For example, when I went from Haryana to India ‘A’ – Rahul Bhai and Paras (Mhambrey) bhai were ready to help. There definitely is pressure with which you have to cope. But that would happen when you face something new, and learn to adapt. I think the structure in place from Ranji to India ‘A’, and from there to the senior team is good.”

When asked about his plans to seal a spot in the limited-overs format, he said:“You would obviously want to represent your country in all formats of the game, but you just have to keep making the most of the chances that you get. I am quite happy doing my best in whatever chances I get.”

Speaking about his new year plans, the all-rounder said:“The goal is just to try and optimize my potential, and that’s the best you can do. Having good preparations before heading to a Test match, and look to outdo the batsmen.”

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