‘He made a statement on the first ball’ – Yashasvi Jaiswal’s astonishing hundred on Day 1 earns praise from Irfan Pathan

Popular cricketer-turned-commentator Irfan Pathan was in absolute awe of Yashasvi Jaiswal‘s batting on Day 1 of the ongoing Headingley Test between England and India. Jaiswal, who scored a brilliant century while opening the batting, was involved in crucial partnerships with KL Rahul (42) and Shubman Gill (127*) to put India in a commanding position on the opening day of the first Test, for which he earned massive praises from Irfan Pathan.

The former India all-rounder during his post-match analysis said that the way the opener batted was simply outstanding, and his shots of the front foot were like a statement. The Baroda-born further noted the way Jaiswal was in jubilation after reaching the three-figure mark signifies how important this knock was for the Uttar Pradesh-born. 

“Outstanding batting. He made a statement on the first ball by defending. It was the first ball of the series from Chris Woakes, and he took his foot forward and defended. His game plan was to play balls outside the off stump and on the stumps with great control,” Pathan said via Sony Sports Network.

“Whether the ball was full or he had to play on the up, the aggressive approach we saw against bad balls from this young Yashasvi Jaiswal’s bat was praiseworthy. The celebration shows how significant it was for him to score a century on the England tour as a youngster,” he added.

Jaiswal started the innings on a positive note, with a couple of boundaries through the off-side first up. He then took some time to assess the swinging and mildly overcast conditions on a slow Headingley pitch. But once his feet settled, there was no looking back for the Southpaw, who reached his century off just 144 balls, which included 16 boundaries and a six through the covers.

In his 92-run stand for the first wicket alongside fellow opener KL Rahul, Jaiswal helped India set the perfect platform, which was later utilized fully by the captain-vice captain duo of Gill and Rishabh Pant, which helped India post 359 runs for the loss of just three wickets at Stumps on the opening day versus The Three Lions.