Former England captain Kevin Pietersen was not thrilled with Jaiswal’s decision to take England veteran James Anderson following a stunning double-century against the visiting team in Vizag. The left-handed opener was the best performer for the Men in Blue in the first innings, smashing a superb daddy hundred against England’s formidable bowling attack.
The 22-year-old opener completed his double century in the 102nd over of the game, smacking a four off Shoaib Bashir. He maintained incredible control throughout his innings, especially against speedster James Anderson, the only bowler in the attack who appeared to challenge Jaiswal.
However, Jaiswal lost his patience with the fast bowler shortly after reaching double figures, gifting his wicket by stepping out and blasting a lofted ball over cover against him. The 22-year-old lacked timing on the ball, and Bairstow made an easy catch to end the India opener’s remarkable effort.
Speaking on Jiocinema, Kevin Pietersen wasn’t impressed with Jaiswal’s decision to take on Anderson and feels that the young Indian opener might have waited for the spinners to unleash his aggressive style. Pietersen believes that Anderson would have most likely been removed from the attack, allowing Jaiswal to attack the spinners freely.
“He has the temperament to play the situation. The one thing he would be kicking himself about is he went off at Anderson. He probably should have waited. He should tried to hit a six every ball against spinners. It was Anderson’s last couple of balls.
“This ground is not big enough for Jaiswal, and he only has to half-connect against spinners to hit a six. We would’ve seen plenty of fireworks, but now, the game has moved on,” Kevin Pietersen said.
Yashasvi Jaiswal became India’s third youngest player to make a Test double-century, contributing more than half of the team’s runs. No other batsman reached 50, while Jaiswal completed his double century in just 277 deliveries. India has scored 396 in its first innings.
Jaiswal’s knock had everything that you would expect from a proper test knock, combining classic defensive stroke play with aggressive down-the-track sixes. The 22-year-old showed his compactness, foot movement, and willingness to express himself in the game.
Despite Jaiswal’s efforts, the Indian team management must be regretting a wasted opportunity to score more runs on a batting-friendly surface at Visakhapatnam, especially since the team is trailing the five-match series 0-1.
