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Talented young batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan were hailed on Monday as the future of Indian cricket after they led their team to a monumental Test victory over England.
The left-handed Jaiswal hit an unbeaten 214 and put on a 172-run partnership with debutant Sarfaraz to set up India’s 434-run win in Rajkot on Sunday. India lead the five-match series 2-1.
There had been fears for India’s inexperienced batting line-up with former captain Virat Kohli out of the series to oversee the birth of his second child and K.L. Rahul injured.
Already missing wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who is still not ready to return after being hurt in a car crash in December 2022, it meant four of India’s top five had just 33 Test caps among them.
But the new batsmen more than rose to the challenge, with the 22-year-old Jaiswal scoring a double century in Rajkot for the second match in a row and Sarfaraz, aged 26, making 62 and 68 not out on his first Test outing.
“Double hundred. Double fifty. This duo of Yashasvi & Sarfaraz has been double trouble for England,” cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X.
Jaiswal, once a homeless boy in Mumbai who sold street food to pursue his sporting passion, scored 171 on his debut in the West Indies last year and has never looked back.
He is averaging 71.75 in seven Tests, leads the series batting chart with 545 runs, and needs 139 in his next innings to become the fourth-quickest batsman in history to 1,000 Test runs, and the fastest in 75 years.
Sarfaraz, 26, was presented with his Test cap by spin great Anil Kumble, with his teary-eyed wife and father looking on. He handled the England spinners with panache and was unlucky to be run out in the first innings.
“We need to see him in a few more Test matches,” former chief selector M.S.K. Prasad told Kolkata’s The Telegraph. “Jaiswal definitely has the ingredients to be the next superstar. He’s proving to be an all-format player.”
“The opportunities came knocking at their door just ahead of the transition period for Indian cricket, and it was good to see these players grabbing the chance with both hands.”
India have introduced a string of new players in the series, including Rajat Patidar, 30, who made his debut in the second Test.
Dhruv Jurel, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper who won his first Test cap in Rajkot, was dubbed “an instant hit on debut” by the Indian Express.
AFP
