On the first day of the second Test on Friday, Yashasvi Jaiswal drove with accuracy, cut with ferocity, and defended with tenacity to thrash a poor West Indies attack with another ‘Daddy Hundred’ that put India at a commanding 318 for 2.
Jaiswal’s undefeated 173 off 253 balls showcased every aspect of his exceptional talent. When the stumps were drawn for the day, he was accompanied by captain Shubman Gill (20).
Such was Jaiswal’s elegance that not a single boundary in his innings looked forced. His 173-run masterclass, adorned with 22 fours, was a display of pure control and timing. The composure with which he dictated terms rubbed off on fellow youngster Sai Sudharsan (87), who appeared set for his maiden Test hundred before falling just 13 runs short.
Sudharsan was able to demonstrate his full ability and support the Indian team management’s decision to keep him as the long-term number three in the Test lineup during a stand of 193 for the second wicket between the two 23-year-olds. Without using any physical effort, Sudharsan was able to gently guide the ball to the boundary with a leisurely approach.
By the time he was trapped leg-before by left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who got one to turn and nip back sharply, the Tamil Nadu southpaw had already silenced talks about him running out of time. Gill, too, looked composed at the crease and will be eager to make amends for missing out on a century in Ahmedabad.
In terms of bowling, the West Indies were disciplined for the first hour then slack for the next five. On Day 1, they bowled enough loose deliveries to score 43 boundaries, including one six. Though he was equally contemptuous of pacers and spinners, Jaiswal’s control was superb.
He received a number of half-volleys and high-pitched offerings from Jayden Seales and Anderson Phillips, which ultimately met their inevitable end. Regarding the spinners, Jaiswal was either given half-trackers or wide, high-pitched deliveries that were so impulsive that fielders occasionally abandoned the chase in the middle.
The Indians easily dispatched Khary Pierre and Roston Chase during the day, despite Warrican bowling a few wicket-taking deliveries, two of which claimed the lives of KL Rahul (38) and Sudharsan. The way Jaiswal timed each of his 50s was a notable feature of his innings.
After reaching the three-figure mark, he essentially controlled the field placements, taking no chances while still scoring freely between 100 and 150 (79 balls). If the first fifty runs (82 balls) were all about being cautious, then there was controlled aggression between 50 and 100 (63 balls).
The fans who had congregated at the Kotla to watch India bat were treated to a treat of his shots, particularly the square cut and back cut. Seales held the stance, and the copybook cover-drive with his knee bent off him formed the ideal image toward the finish.
In Sudharsan’s case, the majority of his 12 boundaries came in the ‘V’ after receiving some excellent lessons in the fundamentals of cricket. There were some spectacular cover drives and on-drives.
Rahul maybe the only man who may be unhappy because he fell to the day’s best delivery.
Warrican abruptly cut the length of his delivery and altered its tempo. Rahul came out and watched it spin sharply, beating his outside edge. A hundred was up for grabs.
