3 things Indian batters in 2nd Test can learn from Yashasvi Jaiswal
Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored an exceptional double century against England in the 2nd Test at Visakhapatnam to put India in the driver's seat. Jaiswal mixed caution with aggression and belted the English bowlers to all corners of the park whenever there was any loose delivery on offer.
Jaiswal negated the initial threat of James Anderson on the opening day and latched onto anything loose from the spinners. Joe Root and Shoaib Bashir weren't spared either as Jaiswal looked proactive in the middle and didn't let go of any run-scoring opportunities.
Despite wickets falling around him, Jaiswal kept his composure and went on to smash his second Test century by dancing down the track and smoking Tom Hartley over the long-on fence. He used his feet perfectly and played just three false shots during his brilliant knock.
Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 179 at the end of Day 1 and continued from where he left on Day 2. He gave Anderson the due respect but was severe on anything loose from the spinners. He completed his double century by smashing a six and a four and it was solely due to his incredible knock that India managed to post a par score of 396.
Every Indian batter got off to a good start but couldn't quite convert it into a significant one. It looked like England had the ascendancy when Zak Crawley was going great guns but the Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance with the ball came to India's rescue. It was a top-quality display of reverse swing bowling as he bagged six wickets, skittling out England for just 253 runs.
India started well in their second innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma striking some boundaries in the possible five overs. With a lead of 171 runs, India are in a comfortable position. The Indian middle-order batters should take a leaf out of Jaiswal's book and implement it in their batting in the second innings.
Here is a look at three things that the Indian batters can learn from Jaiswal:
#3 Mix caution with aggression
Jaiswal showed a perfect blend of caution and aggression during his incredible double century. Jaiswal knew that Anderson was the threat and he played him cautiously and also capitalized on the loose deliveries from spinners. He never tried to do anything out of the ordinary.
Jaiswal had faith in his abilities and continued playing his natural game. The rest of the Indian batters got starts but played uncharacteristic shots at important junctures of the game, leading to their downfalls. They can surely learn a thing or two from Jaiswal's batting and how he compiled his innings.
#2 Utilise anything loose on offer and play to your strengths
Jaiswal never allowed the England spinners to settle down. Whenever the ball was on his radar, he went after the bowlers without any hesitation. He reached his century and double century with a four and a six which shows the intent he had all through the knock.
The rest of the Indian batters looked a bit fidgety and didn't look as determined as Jaiswal. Rohit Sharma, who is a naturally attacking batter, was unusually circumspect during the first innings before tickling one straight to the leg slip fielder.
The likes of Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and KS Bharat played some poor shots which led to their downfall. Jaiswal scoring all those runs will certainly give a template to the rest of the batters.
#1 Trusting your defense and not following the line of the ball
One of the most important nuances of Test batting is trusting your defense and Jaiswal was behind the line of the ball every single time the ball was within the stumps. He was as effective on the front foot as he was on the back foot and played shots all around the wicket.
However, whenever there was a good delivery, he showed due respect. He wasn't bothered by the play and misses and didn't follow the ball. He played every ball on its merit and never looked like he was playing just his sixth Test match. The senior players can learn from his innings and help India score big in the second innings