Yashasvi Jaiswal summoned Mohammed Siraj, Shami; batted on 'spicy' pitch after rain; forced Rahul Dravid to say 'WOW'

With no Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India's top order is in for a stiff test when the first Test against England gets underway at Leeds on Friday. KL Rahul is the only experienced figure in there – Yashasvi Jaiswal has yet to play a Test match in England, while Shubman Gill has only featured in two. If Sai Sudharsan is your man at 3, it becomes all the more challenging given he would be making his Test debut when that happens. England is Yashasvi Jaiswal's second big test(AFP)

But besides the promise, there is hope, especially from young Jaiswal. The 23-year-old has ticked all boxes since he made his Test debut for India with a century against the West Indies. Ever since, Jaiswal has only gone from strength to strength, enjoying a record-breaking 700-plus run series against England at home last year, and emerging as one of the new shining lights for India in an otherwise forgettable tour of Australia. Jaiswal was the highest run-scorer for India, with 391 runs at an average of 43.44, including a highest score of 161.

India would require a repeat of Jaiswal's Australia heroics in England, let alone a better show, if they are to conquer Ben Stokes and Bazball. Expectations are high, and rightly so. In the last two years, Jaiswal has made tremendous strides in batting, to the extent that he is touted as becoming one of world cricket's next Fab Four. Jaiswal's greatness was identified long back, by Rahul Dravid, first at Rajasthan Royals and then when he was added as a stand-by player during the build-up of India's 2023 World Test Championship final. Jaiswal made his India debut just after India lost to Australia at The Oval, but it was in England where he impressed former head coach Rahul Dravid and the rest of the coaches.

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"Some of the practice pitches leading into the Test match were really spicy. It had been raining, and they were not well prepared. And he was willing to go out there and bat against whoever. Side-armers, Mohammed Shami or Mohammed Siraj or whoever. He just wanted to bat in those conditions, which for me and our other coaches was, 'Wow, he wants to learn, he wants to improve. He wants to get better.' From the time that I saw him at Under-19 to then, just his range of shots had improved," Dravid told ESPNcricinfo.

Can Yashasvi Jaiswal succeed in England?

There's something about Jaiswal. He is composed while batting and, at times, aggressive when on the field. How else do you justify Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane sending him off during a Duleep Trophy tie? Even when he was playing under Rohit, the former India captain remained reserved in his praise for Jaiswal, as if he did not want to jinx it. The last time Jaiswal faced England in a Test series, he pummelled two double-centuries against them. Of course, the difference in conditions is almost like night and day, but Jaiswal's ability to adapt is what gives him the best shot to succeed.

"They're all an ability to say I want to score runs, I like scoring runs, I know how to score runs, and I'll do whatever it takes to score runs. Sometimes bat aggressively, sometimes bat defensively, sometimes play from middle stump, sometimes play from outside leg stump. That's a really good trait," added Dravid.

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