The fire is burning bright in young Yashasvi Jaiswal, and illuminating all those who stand witness. After his double century heroics in the second Test in Visakhapatnam, the 22-year-old India opener has crossed the three figures mark again, and in blazing fashion at that. Yashasvi unfurled 'Jaisball' one more time with a glittering 104-run knock off just 133 balls in the third Test against England in Rajkot. (Streaming | Cricket News)
The free-flowing knock was studded with five sixes and nine fours, and was the perfect riposte to England's attempted Bazball tactics. Jaiswal eventually had to retire hurt due to back spasms that left him visibly in pain, but not before putting India in the driver's seat.
This was Jaiswal's third Test hundred, and it came in just his 13th innings. His Test record thus far bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain Virender Sehwag, who too had three Test tons after 13 innings. Their strike rates at this juncture are quite similar too - Yashasvi's SR is 65.87 and that of Sehwag was 66.63.
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However, the youngster has a much healthier average right now - 62.25 as against the former destructive opener's 53.31. It remains to be seen whether the southpaw can emulate the 'Sultan of Multan' in terms of overall exploits in the red-ball format.
With this hundred, Jaiswal also became the joint seventh fastest to three Test tons alongside Sehwag and Sanjay Manjrekar. Furhtermore, he has now amassed 425 runs in the ongoing series against the English, which is the highest by an Indian since Virat Kohli scored 593 runs during the 2018 Test series. With two Tests still to go, Jaiswal has a shot at breaching that mark as well.
His knock helped India forge a dangerous 322-run lead at stumps, with nine wickets still in hand and a well-set Shubman Gill (65 not out off 120 balls) and nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav (3 not out off 15 balls) at the crease.
