‘It’s like he’s the most important…’ – Will Jacks opens up on dismissing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the first time in international cricket

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Source:Gettyimages)

England all-rounder Will Jacks has shared his thoughts on dismissing India’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the first time in international cricket, saying it could become a memorable trivia question in the future.

The off-spinner accounted for the 15-year-old left-hander during his T20I debut at Old Trafford last week, becoming the first bowler to dismiss Sooryavanshi in international cricket. Jacks had the youngster stumped after luring him out of the crease and admitted that it was a special moment, considering the hype surrounding the rising star.

The English all-rounder praised Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach and the excitement he generates whenever he walks out to bat. He also recalled the loud reception the youngster received from the crowd at Old Trafford.

“That might be a pub quiz answer in a few years’ time. Yeah, he is the guy. Obviously, watching him in the IPL and being there and playing against him, he’s a bums-on-seats kid. Obviously, his age, but the amount of times people have said if he was 25 and he’s doing what he does, he’d be one of the best in the world,” said Jacks on Wisden’s The Scoop podcast

“He’s incredibly fun to play against. I think you just see the crowd reaction at Manchester when his name comes up for the team sheet. It’s like he’s the most important player on their team, and everyone wants to see him. He’s incredibly dangerous,” he continued.

Jacks also revealed England’s strategy against the young opener, saying one of the primary objectives was to prevent him from clearing the ropes.

“Yeah, obviously, as easy as that can be. I think he goes after it from ball one, and you just have to be incredibly switched on. Me, as a bowler specifically, I’m quite a reactive bowler. I use my eyes a lot, and I kind of just go off what I see. Some days that might be different, and my plans kind of change on the fly. I think that can sometimes be quite difficult for the batters to face,” Jacks concluded.

Interestingly, Jacks remains the only spinner to dismiss Sooryavanshi in the ongoing T20I series. In the following games at Nottingham and Bristol, the teenage batter was undone by Jofra Archer’s short-pitched bowling, sparking discussions about his ability to negotiate rising deliveries.

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