Bazball treatment: Yashasvi Jaiswal gives England taste of own medicine with another attacking hundred

Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot on the third day of the third test cricket match between India and England, at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, in Rajkot, Saturday, Feb. 17 (PTI photo)

Perhaps, Yashasvi Jaiswal has learnt from the mistake he made in the first Test in Hyderabad. Having made a brilliant 76 on the opening day of this Test series, he went on the offensive in the first over of the second day and in the process fell caught and bowled to part-time off-spinner Joe Root for 80.

There began the Indian batsmen’s pattern of well-set players giving away their wickets in their attempt to go big.

However, Jaiswal took his game several notches above in the second Test in Visakhapatnam, scoring his maiden Test double century. While one can find fault at the way he fell, slogging the veteran seamer James Anderson and skying a catch to Jonny Bairstow, he still took India to a commanding position, scoring 209 runs. Considering the fact that India’s next best individual score in that innings was 34. His double ton needed more accolades than brickbats for just the manner in which he fell.

After all, he is young and this is the age of the youth, full of aggression and ready to take on the world at any cost.

On Saturday, in the third Test of this series in Rajkot, Jaiswal chose phases of play in the Indian second innings after his team took a crucial 126-run first innings lead, to go after the England bowling.

Playing second fiddle to his skipper Rohit Sharma, who fell cheaply for 19, Jaiswal gave England a taste of their own Bazball medicine. He took on the spinners Joe Root, Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed on their face, lofting, pulling, sweeping and even reverse-sweeping for fours and sixes.

Post lunch, in the company of Shubman Gill, Jaiswal dealt only in fours and sixes off the experienced Anderson and left-armer Hartley. The manner in which he took on the England bowlers gave those watching at the stadium some palpitations. Even the odd television commentator who was taking a break from his commentary stint and watching Jaiswal bat, had some words of caution for the batsman. “Bat cautiously,” “shot, six”, “he is taking on the England attack” were whispered by the commentator, enjoying the Jaiswal show.

Jaiswal, in the company of Gill, frustrated the England bowlers. There were occasions where the shoulders of bowlers like Anderson and Wood dropped with the ‘oh no, not again’ expression on their faces after Jaiswal swatted their deliveries outside off stump for fours square of the wicket.

The cut off Wood to take him to the coveted three-figure mark, his third in 13 Test innings, off just 122 balls was a statement by the Indian team. With one batsman (and obviously one bowler) short due to the withdrawal of Ravichandran Ashwin from the Test to attend to “family emergency”, India had only 10 batsmen to play in the second innings and only four specialist bowlers to bowl.

The Indian bowlers led by Jasprit Bumrah and finished by Md Siraj, with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav complementing them brilliantly in between, were outstanding earlier in the day. In Ashwin’s absence, the four of them broke the England batting and skittled them out for an additional 112 runs to their overnight total of 207/2.

As is often seen, a team in crisis puts its best foot forward and excels in trying circumstances. Jaiswal’s hundred has put India in a commanding position, brilliantly complementing their bowlers’ efforts. Soon after reaching his century, he received treatment for his back spasms but could not continue and was forced to retire to the confines of the dressing room.

Jaiswal’s 104 not out and his 155-run partnership with Gill was an exhibition of counterattacking the England bowlers, no matter what captain Ben Stokes tried. And, on a pitch that was still good for batting, you only make the most of it. And, Jaiswal has done just that.

It was a fantastic day to remember for Jaiswal, who began England’s downslide earlier in the day. Staying alert at second slip, he held on to the reverse hit of Joe Root off Bumrah’s bowling, catching on the second attempt.

Hopefully, Jaiswal’s back is treated well for him to resume on Sunday and take the game beyond England’s reach and sit pretty at 2-1 at the end of this Test.