Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 179* left former cricketers stumped as they lavished massive praise on the young Indian opener.
Trailing 0-1 in the ongoing five-match series, India posted 336/6 by stumps on Day 1 of the ongoing second Test in Vizag, on Friday. The home side’s second-highest individual score was 34, so then how did they cross 300? Well, most of the work was done by young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who remained unbeaten at 179* off 257 balls, packed with 17 fours and five sixes.
It was also Jaiswal’s second Test ton, and he will be looking to get his first double hundred on Day 2. The 22-year-old got a half-century in the first Test, and went a notch higher in the second, showing stunning stroke-play to reach his hundred, getting to the landmark with a six over long-on. Other batters who came and stitched stands with him lost their wickets but Jaiswal carried on.
After his knock, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) cricketer received plenty of praise from former cricketers. Former India opener Aakash Chopra hailed Jaiswal’s performance and went a level higher, stating that he ‘is even above Sir Don Bradman at this point in time’.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “The most fantastic performance came from Yashasvi Jaiswal’s bat. How well the kid batted. Jimmy Anderson was the only pacer and he kept leaving his deliveries. He gave a lot of respect to James Anderson’s bowling.”
More praise for Yashasvi Jaiswal
“When spin came, he hit two fours in the first over. After that, he showed why this player is so special. His conversion rate of fifties into hundreds for players who have 10 or more centuries in first-class cricket, he is even above Sir Don Bradman at this point in time,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out Jaiswal’s approach towards England’s James Anderson and said that it ‘was an excellent sign.’ Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he said, “It wasn’t like Jimmy Anderson didn’t bowl much, he bowled a lot. I don’t think a single boundary was hit by Jaiswal against him. That is maturity. He realized this is a bowler who’s not going to give him hittable balls.”