R Ashwin has praised young cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal for his impressive performance on the first day of the India vs. England Test in Hyderabad on January 25.
Responding to England’s first-innings total of 246, Yashasvi Jaiswal played aggressively from the outset. He scored an unbeaten 76 off 70 balls, hitting nine boundaries and three sixes, with the umpires concluding the day’s play.
R Ashwin Hailed Yashasvi Jaiswal For His Aggressive Knock
Ashwin drew a comparison between Jaiswal’s innings and the playing style of wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, noting their shared aggressiveness against left-arm spinners. Speaking to the host broadcaster after the day’s play, Ashwin said:
“That’s the beauty of playing this sport at this level. Somebody breaks through the system, doesn’t have any excess baggage, had a great time in the IPL, had a wonderful start to his first-class cricket. He’s literally not put a foot wrong. He’s walked into Test cricket, he’s taken it like a fish to water. His carefree approach is enabling him to play some wonderful shots.”
He added: “I am quite enjoying it. I get a feeling sometimes when he’s batting, I am seeing Rishabh Pant there. Both of them bat similarly to the left-arm spinner. Jaiswal has got a lot of shots, his range is pretty wide and the fearless approach at the moment is serving him really well.”
Just imagine Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal playing together.
It will actually be called Bazball💥💥💥#INDvsENG #INDvENG #TestCricket #Bazball #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/rDezimndtr
— RanaJi🏹 (@RanaTells) January 25, 2024
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s impressive innings propelled India into a commanding position, finishing the day at 119/1 in 23 overs. Currently trailing by 127 runs, Shubman Gill (14*) is partnering with Jaiswal. However, skipper Rohit Sharma couldn’t capitalize on the promising start, losing his wicket with a rash shot after scoring 24 off 27 balls.
Indian spinners had a successful day, dismissing England for 246 runs after Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett provided a solid start. Although the hosts had England at 155/7, Ben Stokes’ resilient 70-run innings propelled the team to a competitive total.
Ashwin suggested that a total with 30-40 fewer runs would have been ideal, but he acknowledged that Jasiwal’s explosive start had allowed them to secure an advantageous position.
Ashwin said: “240 was a very, very good competitive total I thought,” he continued. “When we left the field, I was thinking probably 30-40 runs more than what we would have liked. The start that Jaiswal and Rohit gave us is making us breathe a little easy. Someone going on and making a hundred tomorrow will put us in the driver’s seat.”
Talking about R Ashwin, he emerged as the standout among the Indian bowlers, claiming three wickets. Ravindra Jadeja provided valuable support with another three scalps, while Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah contributed effectively with two wickets each.
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