New Delhi, Oct 10 India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak praised Yashasvi Jaiswal’s determination and tactical awareness after the opener’s unbeaten 173 helped India reach 318/2 at stumps on Day One of the second and final Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Friday.
Jaiswal, who hit 36 in the first Test in Ahmedabad, dished out a masterclass in tempo control while hitting his fifth 150-plus score, including hitting 22 boundaries. He absorbed pressure when there was an early swing, capitalised on loose deliveries in the day, and tightened up again when West Indies regained discipline later.
His innings not only put India in control of the match but also showcased his remarkable consistency and conversion rate. As per stats from Cricket-21, of Jaiswal’s seven Test hundreds, five have been converted into scores of 150 or more - a conversion rate of 71%, second only to Dennis Amiss (73%) among batters with at least five centuries.
He also ranks ahead of Zaheer Abbas (67%), Don Bradman (62%), and Virender Sehwag (61%) in this metric. Jaiswal now has five 150+ scores in Tests before turning 24, trailing only Sir Don Bradman, who had eight. He shares second place with legends like Javed Miandad, Graeme Smith, and Sachin Tendulkar, each with four such scores before the age of 24.
"For me, I think the determination he showed was important. The new ball was coming well on the bat in his first fifty, and then he did well in getting the second fifty too (on going from 50 to 100). But I felt after 60-65 overs, the ball, on turning old, was not coming well on the bat.”
“So I think he took enough time, neither did he play a bad shot, and this is the same thing he told me at the tea time. It shows that in the last match, he missed out on a big innings, and the way he approached his batting today, I think it was brilliant," said Kotak in the post-day press conference.
Now just 27 runs away from his third double century, Jaiswal is on the brink of equalling Sunil Gavaskar for the joint-second most 200s by an Indian opener in Tests. Only Virender Sehwag, with six double hundreds, stands ahead. If he reaches the milestone, Jaiswal will also join Graeme Smith for the second-most double centuries in Tests before turning 24, behind only Bradman’s six.
Known for his aggressive stroke-play, especially on playing the cut shot, Jaiswal impressed Kotak with his measured approach. "See, I think you all know that he's very aggressive and likes to score runs quickly. According to the wicket, the way he adapted, the shots he decided on that wicket, what he felt with the bounce and pace of the wicket, was brilliant."
"For me, the most important factor was the determination he had to play a big innings. Obviously, he's still playing, but I think that determination and that belief, after not being so aggressive, also, he's batting on 173. So that shows how good he batted."
"In terms of selections of shots, what you are seeing in him playing square of the wicket, I think the players like him or any players at this level, will obviously see the conditions, wicket, bounce, bowlers, and then probably they will target the areas. So, I think he did it brilliantly today," he elaborated.
On the pitch, Kotak described it as ‘beautiful’, while acknowledging natural wear and tear and subtle differences in spin from either end. "I think it's a beautiful wicket. A score of 318/2 means it's a good wicket. Wear and tear will happen naturally where there is no grass, and footmarks caused by wear and tear will be there on any wicket in India, unless there is full grass cover. So, that much variance is expected.”
“The wicket that we see now, that's probably the same we expected. So, on one side, there was less grass. From the other end, it was spinning a little more. Another thing I felt was that the ball that got KL out was the first ball which spun. Another thing was, till then it was his slowest ball.”
“The slow ball that he was bowling, it spun a lot. With Sai's dismissal, he could have negotiated on coming forward. But for that, not a single ball had turned so much before. So, he went back. But the wicket is good - we will try to play at least a couple of sessions and take it from there," he concluded.
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