"His fearlessness stood out the most" - Wasim Jaffer on Yashasvi Jaiswal's brilliant knock in 4th T20I vs WI
Wasim Jaffer reserved high praise for Yashasvi Jaiswal following the left-handed batter's impressive half-century in the fourth T20I of the ongoing five-match series between India and West Indies on Saturday, August 12.
Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 84, helping India chase down the 179-run total with nine wickets and three overs to spare. The former cricketer pointed out how the southpaw was unperturbed by his failure in the previous match and continued to play with a fearless approach.
Commending the opening batter for his knock, Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo:
"His fearlessness stood out the most for me. Even after failing in the first game, he came out and batted in a similar fashion. Sometimes a failure can make you a little defensive, and that was not the case. In this format, there is no place for that. He came out all guns blazing again."
Jaffer also noted how Shubman Gill changed gears after getting set during the run chase. Speaking about the 165-run opening partnership, he added:
"Shubman likes to take his time. But once he gets going, he kind of overtook Yashasvi after that. The pitch was very good to bat on and they both capitalised on it. And Yashasvi, you need somebody to bat like that in the powerplay. India lacked that at times, and it's nice to see him come out and bat so freely."
The series is currently level at 2-2 following India's dominant victories in the third and fourth T20Is.
"Game-changing moment" - Wasim Jaffer on Kuldeep Yadav dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell in same over
In the video, Wasim Jaffer also spoke about Kuldeep Yadav's bowling exploits in the fourth T20I. He opined that the left-arm spinner sending back Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell in the same over propelled India into the pole position.
Kuldeep dismissed the two batters in the seventh over. Highlighting the importance of the bowler's spell, Jaffer stated:
"Those were the guys who were in form and scored runs for West Indies. Those two strikes from Kuldeep were a game-changing moment. India could have easily been chasing 200 or 220 with those two guys still at the crease."
He suggested that Arshdeep Singh also deserves a lot of credit for dismissing Kyle Mayers and Brandon King early in the innings, adding:
"Arshdeep's double strike was very important because both the batters looked like they were getting set to score quickly. Those two strikes were also very crucial."
The fifth and final T20I between India and West Indies will be played at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida, on Sunday, August 13.