Jaiswal’s technique set for close examination in Sri Lanka

Image: Debasis Sen

Vaibhav Tripathi, Galle

On the front page of an Australian newspaper, in big, bold letters, was the headline: ‘The New King’, with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s name above it. The subheading read: ‘Jaiswal, best since Kohli.’ Before his first tour of Australia in 2024, the young left-hander was already in the spotlight.
Australia is tough, especially for first-timers. Jaiswal couldn’t score a single run in his first innings Down Under. In the next innings, he went big, scoring 161. An average of over 40 in his first Test series in Australia was a commendable effort by the youngster. Even on his first tour of England, he averaged more than 40. Barring the South Africa tour in 2023–24, Jaiswal has done well whenever he has played away from India.

In conditions similar to those in India, Jaiswal will be one of India’s batting mainstays in the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

By now, Jaiswal has matured to the extent that he knows how to come back from failures.

There is no shadow of a doubt about his game against spin. The ability to judge lengths and make last-minute adjustments to counter spin is one of the hallmarks of his batting. Saransh Jain troubled him a lot in his first session in Sri Lanka, with the ball beating the outside edge on occasions.

When the duel happened again at the nets, Jaiswal covered his off stump well and was rock-solid in defence, playing with the turn off the back foot whenever the ball was a tad short. Jaiswal is a quick learner and understands his game well. After getting out for a duck in the practice game at the NCC, he scored a flashy fifty in the second innings.

His preparations have been good for the challenge that awaits him. The 24-year-old has to be wary of the left-arm pacers. Marco Jansen was his nemesis last year and during the South Africa tour. Vishwa Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka may not be of the same quality, but they can still ask the right questions with the ball.

Then there is Prabath Jayasuriya, who has taken 81 wickets in Galle. Against New Zealand, Jaiswal was dismissed three times in the three-match series in 2024. The left-armers are not ideal opponents for Jaiswal.

Another area of concern for him of late is that, at times, he gets caught on the crease. It’s something he seems to be aware of, which is why he has spent hours in the nets working on his weakness around the off stump and against the ball turning sharply back into him.

With performances come expectations. Having established himself as a first-choice opener in Test cricket, Jaiswal is expected to score runs whenever he comes out to bat. His performances in the last three Tests have been poor by the lofty standards he has set for himself.

Every series is an opportunity to reach a new high. The conditions in Sri Lanka should suit his game, but they will still demand precision.

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The post Jaiswal’s technique set for close examination in Sri Lanka appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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