After hitting a stunning double century on Saturday, Yashasvi Jaiswal became the first Indian to do so since November 2019.
At the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Vishakhapatnam, Yashasvi Jaiswal made history with his first-ever double-century during the second Test match against England. In the game’s longest format, the youthful opener broke through the double-ton barrier, making history as the first Indian to do so since Mayank Agarwal in November 2019. Jaiswal, an attacking player by nature, reached his 200 off 277 balls with remarkable poise in the face of frequent wicket losses at the other end.
After Sunil Gavaskar and Vinod Kambli, Jaiwal became the third-youngest to achieve the feat. Additionally, he is the first left-handed batsman to achieve a Test double since Gautam Gambhir; the former India opener amassed 206 runs against Australia in 2008. Jaiswal, in fact, has now joined an exclusive group of Indian left-handers who have scored 200 in Test cricket; apart from Gambhir only two other left-handers from India have accomplished this feat: Kambli (twice) and former captain Sourav Ganguli (once).
By the end of the opening day of play, Jaiswal had emphasized the importance of having faith in his methods and remaining disciplined in the face of shifting pitch conditions and the ball’s ability to perform tricks as it grew older and rougher.
He also disclosed that he received constant messages from Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma telling him to remain composed and make sure he turns his century into a significant innings. And Jaiswal did precisely that, since he suffered a little setback in the previous Test after making a fast start in the first innings.
The 22-year-old led India’s charge on Day 1 and finished unbeaten at 179 runs from 257 deliveries, displaying amazing confidence. No other batsman was unable to reach a half-century during the innings, and his outstanding performance helped India secure a commanding position at 336 for six.
Jaiswal appeared uneasy against pacer James Anderson, but he demonstrated his intent by rotating the strike on the opening ball of Day 2 against Shoaib Bashir. The England pacer repeatedly took Jaiswal’s outside edge, but she refrained from letting his aggression get the better of him and instead chose to finish off Anderson. When she came out of the crease to smash Bashir for a six in the hundredth over of the innings, he broke free from the shackles. She went from 200 with a boundary to 100 with a six. With this in just his tenth Test innings, Jaiswal can now claim two hundred and an equal number of half-centuries.
Showcasing his versatility, Jaiswal alternated between ground strokes and airborne shots with ease. One such example was his unwavering approach to left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, whom he had hit for six to reach the coveted three-figure mark. Jaiswal’s innings demonstrated his ability to easily dominate the bowling attack with a series of elegant drives and lofted shots, especially against spinners. Both his colleagues and the Vizag crowd enthusiastically applauded him during his innings.
