In home Test debut, onus on Yashasvi Jaiswal to rekindle knack of scoring big

MUMBAI
After completing his batting session at the India nets on Wednesday, even as most of his teammates sat huddled around on chairs placed behind the practice area, Yashasvi Jaiswal walked towards the boundary rope on the opposite end where all the net bowlers were standing. A round of warm handshakes and hugs followed. The rising India star was meeting the club cricketers, many of whom he has grown up facing in local competitions in the city.
From sleeping in tents at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan in his quest to making a mark in the sport, Jaiswal has learnt his cricket at the Mumbai maidans. The city of dreams, in a fairytale script, has in turn fulfilled the ambitions of that young boy who has grown to become a key player for India.
In over a year and across 13 Tests that he has been with the Indian team, Jaiswal has already had an impact as an acknowledged world-class batting talent. Friday, though, will be a special occasion. The third India-New Zealand Test will be the dashing Mumbai opener’s first Test match at his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium.
It’s been a kind of a series where, at times, the Indian batters haven’t known from where their next run will come. They have struggled against both pace and spin on pitches offering help for bowlers. Save one big partnership in Bengaluru, they have had not much to show for. All out for 46 in the first innings of the first Test, they didn’t do much of note in the second Test and suffered collapses in both innings (156 and 245 all out).
For India to do well in the final Test at the Wankhede Stadium, it will be imperative for the batting unit to start on a positive note. It’s a challenge Jaiswal will relish at the top. You can almost bet the dashing batter will be inspired to make this an occasion to remember for his home crowd by setting the tone for the innings.
He certainly warmed up well for it. In an otherwise disappointing match for the home team’s batting unit at Pune last week, Jaiswal was the one player who looked in good touch.
Going into the Mumbai Test, he will derive plenty of confidence from his second innings knock of 77 on a difficult wicket. There was, in particular, one brief period of play before lunch on the third day which provided a glimpse of the destructive ability of Jaiswal. In the 12 overs that India batted at the end of the first session on a surface that was turning and spitting, Jaiswal helped India smash 81/1 at a run-rate of 6.75 runs an over in the company of Shubman Gill. Jaiswal was unbeaten on 46 off 36 balls with three stunning hits for sixes.
Off-spinner Glenn Phillps, who accounted for the left-hander in the first innings, was singled out for punishment, with Jaiswal hitting him for 27 runs in his first four overs. He welcomed him with a powerful sweep of the first ball which ricocheted off the short leg fielder and on the last ball, Jaiswal came up with the kind of audacious shot that would have punctured the confidence of any bowler. He advanced a couple of steps and hammered the length ball over deep extra cover for a flat six. Even the unplayable Mitchell Santner didn’t know how to stop the run flow. His figures then read 5-0-30-1, with Jaiswal scoring 18 off 16 balls. After lunch, India’s chase lost steam after the opener got out on 77.
Jaiswal is the kind of player who can take the game away with a big innings. That’s how he came to be recognised in the series against England, amassing a staggering 712 runs across the five Tests. So far this season, the big scores have been missing. He has been getting the starts but is unable to convert it into a big score, like he is known to. Apart from the 77, he got 13 and 35 in Bengaluru, and 30 in the first innings of the second Test. Prior to that, he had three half-centuries in the two Tests against Bangladesh (72, 51 and 56).
At the Wankhede, the pitch will be more to his liking, the true bounce suiting his game. And it might just help Jaiswal rekindle his knack of scoring big hundreds instead of good-looking fifties. With the big tour of Australia coming up, it is also an opportunity for him to get into top gear. The Kiwi bowlers might be on top, but they are sure to be wary of the Jaiswal threat.