The India opener has had a dream start to his Test career, despite playing against the best opponents early.
It’s not unusual to have an encouraging start to your Test career; many have done that. What eventually matters is how long a player can sustain that bright start. What also matters is whether they are open to changing their technique across different conditions. The England tour will be a litmus test for Yashasvi Jaiswal to tick those two crucial boxes. Quality-wise, he should succeed, but quality only matters so much in this sport. Jaiswal is still new to these conditions, and conditions always rule the proceedings.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has had a dream start to his Test career, despite playing against the best opponents early. He has 1,798 runs at an average of 52.88 in 36 innings, including 10 fifties and four centuries. His success has not been limited to home conditions.
At home, he has 1091 runs at a marvellous average of 60.61 in 19 outings, comprising seven fifties and two centuries. Then, he has scored runs in the West Indies, averaging 88.66 with one fifty and a century, and Australia, averaging 43.44 with two fifties and a century. That Australia tour was a glimmer of hope, suggesting Jaiswal is really special.
Those conditions were threatening, with excessive seam movement and a world-class pace attack. Still, he ended as the second-leading run-scorer, and leading for India, when other batters were struggling for consistency. Other openers from both sides collectively averaged 23.44, while Jaiswal averaged 43.44.
He showed technical adjustment when Mitchell Starc exploited his usual middle and leg shuffle by quickly starting from his outside leg. He began to come more forward rather than going back and across from the Gabba Test. That showed his ability to adapt and overcome his usual muscle memory.
The conditions are so diverse between Australia and England, which means Jaiswal must evolve again. He is a back-foot player who moves across, so it’s not easy to come forward. Hence, bowlers can angle away from him by going over the wicket, and Jaiswal can have issues on fuller lengths, especially on quicker decks.
He often slashes hard outside the off-stump line, and when the ball moves late, that can result in dismissals. He can end up edging deliveries since he can often play away from the body. This area was massively exploited by the Proteas when Jaiswal toured South Africa, averaging a mere 12.50 across four innings.
His technique is still vulnerable to excessive movement, and dukes keep moving for longer periods. England pacers have mastered the wobble seam, and the ball can jag off the length. On the South Africa tour, he often played within the crease, and if he does that again, he might not cover the line.
The good thing that goes in Jaiswal’s favour is that the conditions won’t be as ruthless in England as they have been historically. The pitches have changed and don’t offer as much to bowlers in the Bazball era. Further, the UK have been dry this summer, and the surfaces won’t be as quick, which allows Jaiswal to manage movement better.
Yashasvi Jaiswal will likely open the innings with KL Rahul in this rubber. Rahul’s career has been hot and cold, and while he has shown glimpses of brilliance on every tour, the consistency hasn’t been up to expectations. Further, India will be without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Shubman Gill doesn’t boast a fine record in England.
Further, Karun Nair is returning after a long time, and Rishabh Pant’s issues against deliveries angled across him were exposed Down Under. That means the 23-year-old is India’s best bet to score runs. He has the appetite for big scores and must perform consistently.
A lot will depend on how he performs for a relatively fresh India’s batting unit. Others must step up, but India would back Jaiswal to do the heavy lifting. He has already scored the bulk of runs since his debut for India.
Since his debut, no other batter has scored as many Test runs as the Mumbai batter. This is when pitches have been extreme, and he has already travelled to Australia, South Africa, and the West Indies. While a maiden attempt might allow him some latitude, don’t be surprised if Jaiswal succeeds with flying colours.
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