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Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar showered huge praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal by comparing him to Sunil Gavaskar.
Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 161 runs for India in the 2nd innings of the Perth Test. (Picture Credit: AP)
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar offered massive praise for young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal on Saturday, comparing his technique, temperament and hunger for big scores to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
Jaiswal, fourth in the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s rankings for men’s Test batters, has already scored over 1500 runs, including four centuries and eight fifties in 16 matches. In the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the left-hander hit a match-winning 161 in the second innings of the first Test in Perth.
“Two things [make Jaiswal special],” Bangar said on Star Sports. “One is that he is extremely sound technically, and that means that he’s got a great foundation for him to work his way up. Then the temperament part [has been there since] very early in his career. He’s gone through lots of a lot of ups and downs in his personal life as well.”
“Cricket means a lot to him. He has worked hard to be where he is and his hunger for big scores actually defines him as a batsman. Most of his hundreds so far or all of his hundreds in Test cricket have been scores of about 150 and that tells you the kind of hunger that you want to see in young players. Now, who was an earlier batter of similar caliber? We have to go a long way back in someone like a Sunil Gavaskar,” he added.
Jaiswal started his career by representing Mumbai but hails from Uttar Pradesh. He moved to the financial capital as a 10-year-old and survived through minimal resources, only banking on his cricketing skills to fund his basic needs.
But, apart from his big hundred, Jaiswal has recorded scores of 0, 45, 0 and 24 in the series. His slight weaknesses against the swinging ball have been found out by the Aussie pacers who have either made him try loose drives outside the off-stump or cramped him for room.
India would hope he solves the issues in Brisbane, where the visitors started poorly in the 13.2 overs that were possible on Saturday before rain played spoil-sport. Australia went to Stumps at 28/0 with Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney looking solid.
