Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra showered praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal after the left-hander scored a majestic knock of 175 runs in the first innings of the second Test match against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
Jaiswal scored an unbeaten knock of 173 runs, including 22 fours, on the opening day of the second Test match. This was the seventh Test century for the Indian opener. The southpaw was unfortunately run out after a mix-up with skipper Shubman Gill.
Jaiswal looked a bit tentative in the first session of the Test but gained confidence as he spent more time in the middle.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “People often compare him to Virender Sehwag, but he is actually very different from Sehwag. Sehwag’s approach was simple. He would walk in, start hitting from ball one, and his philosophy was to keep attacking and, if possible, score a hundred before lunch without holding back. Yashasvi is not like that. His mindset is different. Right now, he is playing only one format and does not get too many chances in others. If he sees that the pitch is good and he has already played one solid innings, he starts steadily. He stays comfortable, plays patiently, leaves the ball when needed, and keeps building his innings.”
Chopra noted that Jaiswal remained patient in the first session of play against the West Indies bowlers and converted his start to a big score.
“There is no ego, no rush. He is calm. He is fine making 40 runs before lunch and is completely okay with that. But once lunch was over, he began attacking with boundaries after boundaries because by then he was well set. The opposition looked a bit dazed, almost knocked out, and he knew how to capitalize on that. Even then, he was not reckless. This is not the same player who jumps around and smashes every ball like the one who once danced down the track and hit James Anderson. He is watching even the left-arm spinners carefully, thinking that he wants to make a big hundred and score a lot of runs,” he added.
The renowned commentator highlighted that Jaiswal has an insatiable hunger for the big scores in Test cricket as he once again proved his mettle.
“That shows his hunger, which is incredible. Absolutely outstanding. It also shows his understanding and maturity. You can call it a measured approach, but I would call it pure maturity. He knows that if he gets a flat pitch and a slightly weaker opposition, which does not happen often, he has to make the most of that opportunity. He knows this is when to cash in so that his average goes up significantly.”
India declared after posting 518-5 in the first innings.
