Yashasvi Jaiswal, the opening batsman for India, blasted 179* in the current second Test match against England. This is Jaiswal’s first Test century in India. The 24-year-old took 257 balls to attain this milestone. This marks Jaiswal’s second century in Test cricket; in 2023, he hammered home his first century against the West Indies with a score of 130* runs.
India, who chose to bat first, got off to a good start as openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal established a solid connection. The two were resolute in their strategy, forcing the visitors to work hard and enjoy the fantastic batting conditions available.
The Indian batsmen skillfully rotated the strike, hitting the available loose balls and keeping the England bowlers off balance. Between the two batsmen, Jaiswal was the more aggressive, frequently hitting boundaries. The hosts’ batsmen dominated the first session as India scored a hundreds of runs. Jaiswal demonstrated his range of shots and approached the situation fearlessly. A significant breakthrough was achieved by his team when rookie Shoaib Bashir dismissed Rohit for 14 runs, ending their 40-run opening partnership.
Young Indian batsmen were hitting the bowlers, even the experienced ones. Veteran pacer James Anderson gave England a huge boost in the 29th over when he bowled out under pressure Gill for 34 runs.
The swing in Anderson’s delivery absolutely bewildered Gill, and as the ball struck the bat’s edge, Ben Foakes, the wicketkeeper, produced an excellent catch behind the stumps.
Jaiswal reached his half-century in 89 deliveries after hitting his first six of the game in the thirtyth over and a boundary on the following ball. Together, Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer showed incredible tenacity and resolve to push India’s total above 170 runs.
Shreyas Iyer’s poor form continued, playing a cross-batted shot and getting dismissed by Tom Hartley. Debutant Rajat Patidar impressed with a controlled innings, reminiscent of Ajinkya Rahane. Rajat Patidar and Axar Patel made contributions, but both were eventually dismissed. Local player KS Bharat played a careless shot, giving away his wicket in the last moments of the day’s play. Iyer’s spot in the side is under threat, and Patidar’s debut showed promise.
India strikes first against England, a much-needed blow as the hosts approach stumps at 336 for 6. On a hot and muggy first day in Visakhapatnam, England, fielding four spinners and the experienced James Anderson, bowled as many as 93 overs since their over-rate was spot on.