Impressed with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s splendid batting against a top-notch Australian attack, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar says the youngster has the cricketing world at his feet and brings a completely different perspective to the opener’s role by playing his shots instead of being ultra-watchful.
Jaiswal ended the day two at unbeaten on 90. With KL Rahul (62 batting) he frustrated the pace troika of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, as well as veteran spinner Nathan Lyon with an unbroken 172-run stand to hand India a 218-run lead.
Gavaskar, a revered opener during his playing days, said the 22-year-old Jaiswal has “the cricketing world at his feet”.
“This boy’s is special. Looking at where he’s come from, the way he’s been batting and handling fame, it’s not easy sometimes to handle fame,” Gavaskar said after the end of the day’s play.
“Against England, he scored more than 700 runs in five Test matches, two double-hundreds earlier in the year. And he looks so hungry for runs, which is what you want as a batter.”
“A lot of us were told, get a hundred. I think he says, I want to get a 150 or 200. He’s hungry for runs, and that’s exactly what Indian cricket needs,” he told Star Sports.
Gavaskar said the left-handed Jaiswal can create problems for top teams like Australia and England with his penchant for playing shots.
“A left-hander who at the top of the order can create problems for the bowlers, whether they’re Australian, English, whatever, because he brings a completely different perspective,” said the former captain.
“He likes to play his shots. He’s not one of those really ultra-watchful batters. He’ll play his shots. Some of the shots that he played off Mitchell Starc tell you the confidence that he has. So clearly, I think, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has the cricketing world at his feet.”
Jaiswal also showed that he had learnt his lessons from the first innings — he was out for nought — and curbed his urge to drive on the up initially, which was the best part about his batting. Each of his seven fours and two sixes were well-executed shots.
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden lauded Jaiswal for his “absolute calmness under pressure”.
“It was certainly chalk and cheese. The first innings the way Jaiswal slashed away outside off stump, and that was the dismissal that caused his peril. But when you think of the second innings, you think of just absolute calmness under pressure.”
“Character was shown in the second innings because he had such good composure. He allowed himself time at the crease. He had the balance and peace of mind to be able to get a good stride into the ball, and then he also allowed himself to bat time with his partner.”
Gavaskar also praised KL Rahul for easing pressure on Jaiswal with his solid batting.
“When you have a partner at the other end who’s looking so secure, like Rahul is doing, then the other partner who’s got more strokes, who’s a little more adventurous in playing shots, and that’s what happened, so Jaiswal has actually flowered in his company.”
You can say that because he’s seen the solidity of Rahul. Rahul hasn’t missed out on his scoring opportunities. When the ball’s been pitched up, he’s driven it gloriously through the covers.”
“There is this straight drive that he played off Pat Cummins as well. Brilliant. It’s been a very, very good innings. It’s been what you would call a proper five-day Test match innings,” said Gavaskar.
