Jaiswal smashed his second century of the ongoing England tour on Day 3 at The Oval.
India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed his second century of the ongoing England tour on Day 3 of the fifth and final Test at The Oval.
Jaiswal, who was 51 not out off 49 balls overnight, was cautious in the morning session as night watchman Akash Deep took on the English bowlers en route to his maiden Test fifty (66 off 94).
The southpaw remained unbeaten on 85 at lunch and went on to complete his sixth Test hundred in the second session. It was Jaiswal’s fourth ton against England, reinforcing his status as one of India’s most consistent red-ball batters.
Jaiswal was dismissed by Josh Tongue after a brilliant knock of 118 runs in 164 deliveries, studded with 14 boundaries and two sixes, helping India set an imposing target of 374 for the hosts.
Impressed with his batting, former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu compared Yashasvi Jaiswal’s impact at the top of the order to that of the legendary Virender Sehwag.
“The way he played those cuts, the cover drive, and especially that stroke between mid-on and midwicket shows how quickly he gets into position. He has so much time,” Sidhu said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“I can say that after Sunil Gavaskar, if any opener has come close to the impact of Virender Sehwag, it is Yashasvi Jaiswal. He has scored double hundreds and hundreds, and done so at a pace that gives bowlers no time to settle while putting his team in a winning position,” he added.
Sidhu acknowledged the dropped chances Jaiswal got but argued that it was earned through dominance.
“Some might say that he got a life because a catch was dropped, but the ball was traveling like a bullet. That slash had serious power,” Sidhu stated.
He also emphasized Jaiswal’s technical strengths, saying: “His special quality is the back-and-across movement, which gives him that little extra time. Then he plays with complete flow, fully aware that he could get out anytime in such conditions.”
Sidhu further remarked, “When your average remains near or above 50 even after 20 to 30 Test matches, you are considered a great player.”
England ended the third day at 50/1, needing another 324 runs to pull off a series-clinching victory. India, on the other hand, require 8 more wickets to level the series at The Oval.