In the ongoing third Test match between India and England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Yashasvi Jaiswal showcased his batting skills by scoring his second century of the series on Saturday. The left-handed batter reached the three-figure mark in 122 deliveries, demonstrating patience initially and then unleashing an array of strokes as India rapidly added to their total.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's century places him as the joint seventh fastest to three Test centuries alongside legends Virender Sehwag and Sanjay Manjrekar. In terms of innings taken, Sehwag achieved this feat in 13 innings with an average of 53.31 and a strike rate of 66.63, while Yashasvi took the same number of innings with an impressive average of 62.25 and a strike rate of 65.87.
Sehwag lauded Jaiswal's knock on X formerly Twitter, “Back to back century for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Treating Spinners the way they should be treated. De dana dan, he wrote.”
However, after reaching the milestone, Jaiswal encountered a setback as he suffered from back pain, appearing to have pulled a muscle. Despite receiving treatment on the field and expressing his determination to continue, the team management decided to retire him hurt for 104 off 133 deliveries, keeping the two remaining Test matches in mind.
Reflecting on the overall match, it was a dominant day for India, largely influenced by their bowling performance. England, starting the day at 207/2, was eventually bowled out for 319. The first session saw Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah claiming three wickets, with the spinner taking two crucial wickets. In the second session, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja wrapped up the England tail, securing a 126-run first-innings lead for India. Siraj finished with a four-wicket haul.
In their second innings, India faced an early setback with the dismissal of captain Rohit Sharma for 19. However, a resilient 155* partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill tilted the momentum back in India's favor. Gill remains unbeaten on 65 off 120, and India, posting 196/2, currently leads by 322 runs. Play will resume on Day 3 with nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav joining Shubman Gill at the crease.
