Jaiswal finished with an unbeaten knock of 173 on Day 1 of the second Test against West Indies.
Yashasvi Jaiswal starred with the bat on Day 1 of the second Test between India and West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Opening the innings, the southpaw finished the day on 173 not out, propelling the hosts to a formidable 318/2 at stumps. His 253-ball knock was laced with 22 fours.
After the day’s play, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak heaped praise on Jaiswal’s determination.
“The way he approached his innings was brilliant. According to the wicket, the way he adapted, the shots he decided on that wicket, what he felt with the bounce and the pace of the wicket, was brilliant,” Kotak said in the post-day presser.
“For me, the most important aspect happened to be how determined he was about playing a big innings. Obviously he is still playing," Kotak added.
Jaiswal’s conviction in selecting the right shots allowed him to dominate the bowlers without being overly aggressive.
“It is that determination and belief that even after not being so aggressive, he is batting on 173. So that shows how well he batted."
Kotak lauded Jaiswal’s shot selection. “I think the players like him or any players at this level will obviously see the conditions, see the wicket, assess the bounce, see the bowlers and then probably they will target the areas. So I think he did brilliantly today."
At stumps, captain Shubman Gill (20*) was unbeaten in the middle alongside Jaiswal, with India perfectly placed to build a towering first-innings total on Day 2. India’s second opener KL Rahul also contributed 38 runs.
Rahul was unfortunate to get a delivery that spun sharply and bounced as he tried to defend it.
“The ball that he (Rahul) got out, that was the first ball which spun. And another thing is that, till then this ball was the slowest ball. The slow ball he was bowling, that ball spun a little more," Kotak said.
However, the batting coach reckons the curators have served a good wicket for batting. “We have scored 318 for two and that says it is a good wicket. Where there is no grass on the wicket, there is a foot mark. Unless there is grass cover, there will be wear and tear. So that much variation is expected," Kotak remarked.
“So the wicket what we see now, that is probably the same we expected. So on one side, naturally the wicket was used and there was less grass. Ball is moving a little more from there. But I think the wicket is good."
Kotak made it clear that India plan to bat once on this track, aiming to extend visitors’ misery until Tea on the second day. “We will try and play at least couple of sessions and take it from there," he stated.
(With PTI Inputs)