Yashasvi Jaiswal Did What Virat Kohli Couldn't; Have India Found Their New King?

Debashis Sarangi

What made Jaiswal more successful than Kohli in Perth [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X, @ddsportschannel/X]What made Jaiswal more successful than Kohli in Perth [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X, @ddsportschannel/X]

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India's young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal had a memorable outing with the bat, as he clobbered a magnificent century in the ongoing first Test of the five-match series against Australia. Opening the batting for India, Jaiswal hammered a sparkling century, his fourth in Tests, to script his team's miraculous comeback in the Test match. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal had a torrid start to his first Australian tour, as ace speedster Mitchell Starc dismissed him for a duck in the first innings. However he regained his mojo with a gorgeous innings, keeping Australia at bay with his grit and determination. The Mumbaikar formed a mammoth opening stand with KL Rahul, recording the highest-ever partnership for India on Australian soil. 

The youngster outperformed most of his senior colleagues, including talismanic Indian batter Virat Kohli. So, as Jaiswal continues his onslaught over the Aussies, let's see how he managed to turn things around and smacked a blistering ton on a seam-friendly pitch. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Virat Kohli: A Difference Of Approach and Technique

Yashasvi Jaiswal's wagon wheel [Source: Crex]Yashasvi Jaiswal's wagon wheel [Source: Crex]

Virat Kohli, having played all his cricket on Delhi's low-bounce surface, has a tendency to commit early onto his front foot. Although his adaptation resulted in his astounding success in SENA Tests between 2015 and 2019, his lean patch made Kohli once again vulnerable to the deliveries pitched around the fourth stump channel. 

Statistically, Virat Kohli intercepted the ball on 2.685 m from the stumps during his brief stay in the first innings- the highest in his Test career. This suggests that he didn't wait for the ball to arrive and tried to reach out to it with hard hands. Kohli's basic error led to his dismissal, as Josh Hazlewood got his prized scalp in the first innings. 

On the other hand, Jaiswal used the depth of the crease beautifully, bringing his wrists into play and fetching the gaps nicely. He targeted the square of the wicket to score his boundaries and hit the Australian bowlers by getting on top of the bounce. 

Unless it was over-pitched, Jaiswal didn't commit to his front foot, eventually making a significant impact for the Indian team. His wagon wheel indicates that he scored 73 runs (more than fifty percent of his current score) behind the square, indicating how he adapted to the Australian conditions with his strong back foot game. 

Conclusion: India's New King Is Here To Stay

Yashasvi Jaiswal received a lot of flak for his poor outing in South Africa and the first innings in Perth. However, he silenced his critics with this century, earning massive applause from around the world. Technique, temperament and adaptability are the basic ingredients a cricketer needs to succeed at the highest level. Jaiswal has all these qualities and is all set to rule in international cricket in the coming years.