Yashasvi Jaiswal, the 23-year-old Indian opener, dazzled with a blistering 171 the other day in a Test match against England at Headingley. Turns out, he scored a marvelous century of 101 runs! His 100th was the biggest one yet. In doing so, it became the first Test century by an Asian opener at this storied venue. Jaiswal’s record-breaking feat underlines his meteoric rise to becoming an international cricketing sensation. He is now the record for most runs scored by any Indian batter after 20 Tests.
Jaiswal’s innings came amidst physical challenges, including discomfort from a blow to the ribs by England’s Brydon Carse and persistent pain in his right hand. Some successes, but stiff headwinds — e.g. He struck up a lovely partnership with fellow opener KL Rahul, putting together an excellent opening stand of 91 runs.
As the day wore on, Jaiswal proved his mettle with both defense and scoring instinct on display. He recognized the need to adapt to the conditions at Headingley, stating that “the pitch got better as the day went on and India’s batters showed class,” a sentiment echoed by England bowler Mark Wood during an interview on Test Match Special.
Jaiswal’s century is especially impressive considering his spectacular form in recent matches. He already racked up 712 runs when India played England in India at the start of 2024. This consistent performance across different pitches and countries has established him as one of the promising talents in Indian cricket.
Jaiswal’s innings cut short unexpectedly when Stokes bowled him out. The almost unplayable delivery that went on to crash his off stump, ensuring Jaiswal’s end. Looking back on this week’s performance, Jaiswal was excited. I just wanted to play and help my team, my country and myself after all the hard work I had done paying off like that at the Olympic level, but I had a blast!
When you consider the talent he has accomplished this in front of, Jaiswal’s accomplishments stand out particularly impressively. He has now scored centuries in his first Tests in the West Indies, Australia, and now England. This versatility is a testament to his ability to adapt and it bodes well for arguably being a major player for India for years to come.
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