In Yashasvi Jaiswal, the Indian cricket team has found a gem. The 23-year-old left-handed batter, in his 25-Test career so far, has amassed over 2200 runs in the format, including seven centuries and 12 half-centuries since making his debut in the West Indies two years ago. Of the seven centuries Jaiswal has scored so far, five have been innings of 150 runs or more. Remarkably, each of his first four hundreds crossed the 150-run mark, making him only the second player after Graeme Smith to achieve this rare milestone. The only exceptions came during his two centuries in England earlier this year, both of which were scores below 150.
In the second Test against West Indies, Jaiswal was out for 175. After that innings, former India star Mohammad Kaif is convinced that Jaiswal is the player who'll shatter Sehwag's '300 record'. For the uninitiated, Sehwag scored two triple centuries during his career. His 319 against South Africa in Chennai in 2008 is the highest individual score by an Indian batter so far.
"Yashasvi Jaiswal is a batsman with the patience to score big hundreds and set new marks. In his first 26 matches, his numbers are as good as Sachin's and Virat's. Scoring at a high strike rate, his hundreds mostly put India on the path to victory. Sehwag ka 300 wala record, Jaiswal hi todega," Mohammad Kaif posted on X.
India's legendary spinner Anil Kumble also heaped praise on opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“Jaiswal is just getting better and better day by day. We've spoken about his hunger and his attitude towards building big innings, not just for himself but for the team. Even in the previous game, he got off to a good start but was dismissed early, so he's certainly made up for that here,” Kumble said.
“Throughout his short career, he has shown that he doesn't waste opportunities like these. Once he's in, he makes it count, and that's wonderful to see."