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SPORTS NOVEMBER 01, 2024 | The Indian Eye 40

INDIA-NZ TEST SERIES

Yashasvi enters a record club as expert

questions Indian batters’ ability against spin

Overall, the 22-year-old opener has scored 1,007 runs in 10 Test matches in 2024

at a whopping average of 59.23 and striking aggressively at 75.88

OUR BUREAU
Bengaluru

ndia’s young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal on Fri-
day became just the fifth batter to score 1,000
ITest runs in a calendar year before turning 23.
During India’s second Test against New Zealand
in Pune, Jaiswal, 22, kept composure and slammed
30(60) before losing his wicket on Day 2. His short-
lived 30-run knock on Day 2 was enough to take his
overall tally past the 1,000 Test-run mark in 2024.
After crossing the landmark feat, Jaiswal en-
tered an exclusive club that features four cricketing
icons apart from him. The southpaw became just
the fifth batter to score 1,000 Test runs in a calen-
dar year before turning 23.
The exclusive club features batting legends, in-
cluding Garfield Sobers (1,193 Test runs in 1958),
Graeme Smith (1,198 Test runs in 2003), AB de
Villiers (1,008 Test runs in 2005) and Alastair Cook
(1,013 Test runs in 2006).
He also joined England’s charismatic Joe Root
and became just the second batter to notch up
1,000 Test runs in 2024. India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot during the first test match against New Zealand at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru (ANI)
Jaiswal’s promising knock was brought to an
end by New Zealand’s part-time spinner Glenn Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid etc. He said even Gone are the days of Ganguly, Gambhir, Laxman
Phillips. In his very first over, Jaiswal bent forward during the Indian Premier League (IPL), whenev- and Dravid. Sachin was so, so good against spin,
to defend the ball but failed to cover the turn on er pitches turn, players complain about it. and the era before them. I think good quality spin-
the front foot. The ball turned enough to force out “I think it is a misconception around the world ners are just as good as getting India out on turning
an edge and travel Mitchell at the slip. now that these modern Indian players are better tracks as Indian spinners against good quality op-
Overall, the 22-year-old opener has scored playing spin than anyone else. They are not. They position batters. And the moment they see a turn-
1,007 runs in 10 Test matches in 2024 at a whopping are the same as everyone else around the world. ing track in IPL, they complain,” he said.
average of 59.23 and striking aggressively at 75.88.
Meanwhile, former New Zealand cricketer
and broadcaster Simon Doull lambasted Indian Manjrekar slams Kohli for his poor selection of shot
batters for their poor batting performance against ormer Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar est intent.”
spinners Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips expressed disappointment with star batter This poor dismissal continues Virat’s incon-
during the second Test against New Zealand at FVirat Kohli’s dismissal during the second sistent run in Tests this year, having made 228
Pune, saying that it is a misconception that modern Test against New Zealand at Pune, expressing that runs in five Tests and nine innings at an average of
Indian players are good against tweakers, rather he played the “worst shot of his career” to get out. 28.50, with just one fifty and best score of 70.
they are as vulnerable as overseas batters on good During the first innings of the Pune Test, Vi- In the ongoing ICC World Test Champion-
turning tracks. rat was dismissed for a poor nine-ball one-run ship 2023-25 though, Virat has been rather solid.
A shambolic batting performance during the
first inning of the Pune Test might have just put the knock. He missed a low full toss delivered by spin- He has scored 539 runs in eight Tests at an aver-
ner Mitchell Santner and played the wrong line as age of 44.91, with a century and three fifties in 13
hosts India at a rare risk of a series loss home and the ball sneaked under his bat and crashed into innings, with best score of 121.
has put their 12-year, 18 series-long unbeaten re- his stumps. The decade of 2020s has not been kind to Vi-
cord at in jeopardy. Taking to X, Manjrekar wrote, “Oh dear! Vi- rat the Test batter, with him having made 1,816
Speaking after India’s innings on air, Doull
said that the it is not true that Indian players cur- rat will know himself that he has just played the runs in 33 Tests at an average of 33.01, with just
worst shot of his career to get out. Got to feel for two centuries and nine fifties in 57 innings and the
rently are as good as against spin as their older him...coz as always he came out with solid & hon- best score of 186.s
counterparts in Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar,

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