One of the reasons for India’s superb batting performance in the second innings of the opening Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth was how patient the left-handed young opening batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, was with his incredible batting display, having failed in the first innings of the game.
Having opted to bat first, the Indian openers were asked to face the challenge against the new ball of the Australia pacers, and Yashasvi Jaiswal drove the outswinger of Mitchell Starc to find himself into the hands of the second innings. With their lead of 46 runs in the second chance, the eyes were on the opening stand again.
This time, the Mumbai batter restrained himself from the fancy shots at the start of the innings. He took care of the short balls in a great manner before claiming the rewards at the end. The Uttar Pradesh-born smashed 161 runs in 297 balls with the help of 15 boundaries and three over-boundaries.
Yashasvi Jaiswal currently is the second leading run-getter in the longest format with the help of 1280 runs in 12 games at an average of over 58 with the help of three centuries and seven half-centuries at a strike rate of 72. He has a chance to go past Joe Root at the top with 1338 runs, who also can look to extend the distance while he will face New Zealand in a three-match red-ball series,
The former head coach of Australia, Greg Chappell, while writing his column for the Sydney Morning Herald, has noted that the youngster has all the capabilities to carry the excellence of batting created by Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar in the past.
Greg Chappell impressed with the rise of Yashasvi Jaiswal in Test cricket
The batting legend also lauded the fearless approach of the left-handed batter and his technical brilliance, which saw the national side earning a vital 295-run victory in the first Test to go 0-1 up in the series.
“The young opener is fearless and appears poised to inherit the mantle of Indian batting excellence, following the likes of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. Jaiswal’s journey encapsulates why India’s planning and infrastructure give them a clear edge in world cricket.” Chappell wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald, crediting robust cricketing infrastructure and strategic planning of India to nurturing young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The 22-year-old has notched up 1568 runs in 28 innings at an average of over 58 with the help of four centuries and eight half-centuries at a strike rate of around 70, at the best score of unbeaten 214 runs. There are very few openers in world cricket, who are equally superb in both the longest and shortest format, and young Jaiswal is the rarest.
One of the contracts that Chappell has pointed out between India and Australia is youth development as he emphasized the incredible domestic structure of the five-day format games at the junior levels, which has worked in the development of the players.
“A comparison with Australia’s Nathan McSweeney is illuminating. At 22, Yashasvi Jaiswal has already played 14 Tests, 30 first-class matches, 32 List A games, and 53 IPL matches. In contrast, McSweeney, 25, has just debuted in Tests, with fewer domestic appearances across formats.” Gregg Chappell expressed in his column.
“India’s system prioritizes long-form cricket at the youth level. This ensures players are well-versed in the nuances of the game. When India’s U-19 team plays other countries, it often feels like men playing against boys in terms of game awareness.” The veteran penned down how the former Indian head coach, Rahul Dravid, was an instrumental member in focusing on red-ball cricket at the grassroots level.