[WATCH] Yashasvi Jaiswal marks hundred with massive slog sweep, flying kiss steals the show

Yashasvi Jaiswal produced a commanding knock of 155 not out off 162 balls for India A against New Zealand A in the second unofficial Test at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. He reached his hundred with a slog sweep boundary and immediately sent a flying kiss towards the dugout, a celebration that drew wide attention.

A clip shared on social media captured the moment in full, showing the slog sweep that brought up the milestone and the animated celebration that followed. Jaiswal had resumed the final day unbeaten on 20 and accelerated sharply, reaching his century off 119 deliveries before pushing on to 155 not out.

Jaiswal on batting in New Zealand conditions

The innings included 15 fours and five sixes. India A closed their second innings at 282 for 2, holding a lead of 204 runs at the time the match ended in a draw. New Zealand A had secured a 78-run first-innings advantage after posting 424 in their first innings.

The knock came after a difficult run for Jaiswal in this tour. He had scored 17 and 5 in the first unofficial Test of the series, then was dismissed LBW for a duck off four balls in India A’s first innings of this Christchurch match. The 155 not out ended that lean stretch ahead of the two-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins on November 19. Speaking after the match, Jaiswal reflected on the conditions at Hagley Oval. He described the environment as unlike anything he had encountered elsewhere.

“New Zealand is a very different place (compared) to India, Australia, even England. Because it’s very cold here. If you look at the air, the whole day it was cloudy. Then for some time, the sun came and left. It’s been like this for the last four days,” Jaiswal said as quoted by NDTV Sports.

“…it’s very cold here. The ball moves a lot initially and there is a lot of seam movement. And there are good bowlers hitting good areas consistently. So we have to wait a lot to make runs initially. After that, when the wicket gets better or the ball gets old, it’s easy to make runs. I won’t say it’s easy, but you can play good shots. So it was a lot of fun and it feels good to play here. It’s a very different experience,” he added.

Jaiswal also spoke about the technical adjustments he made during the inning. The 155 not out is Jaiswal’s 18th century in first-class cricket and the 12th occasion he has passed 150 in the format. It is also his highest score for India A, surpassing his previous best of 146 against Bangladesh A in 2022. The two-match Test series against New Zealand begins on November 19.

“Mainly, in my mind, the closer I play to the body, the better it is. Go to the ball and play. If you look at the first innings, my initial stance was behind. Then I changed again. If the bowler is not bowling fast, then you can manage the seam movement. It’s not that easy…Just focus on process, routine, discipline. I think you have to be very disciplined here,” Jaiswal explained.