Inexperience of India’s batting line-up was flagged as a major concern following the shocking loss in the first Test but three games into the five-match series against England, the same fearless bunch has grabbed its chances to give the hosts a comforting 2-1 advantage.
Irrespective of what happens in the remaining two games, the series will be remembered for the coming of age of 22-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has bossed the English bowlers with back to back double hundreds at the top of the order.
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While growing up, nothing came easy for Jaiswal and after getting his set of opportunities across formats, it is not surprising that the southpaw has shown an insatiable hunger for runs.
The way he constructed his innings in Rajkot not only belied his age, it was also a master-class in Test match batting. He was extremely watchful at the start of the innings before deciding to hit sixes at will including three off the great James Anderson in three different directions.
From the team’s perspective, another big takeaway from the Rajkot Test was the performance of debutants Sarfaraz Khan and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
“Ye aaj kal ke bacche (these kids of today),” quipped skipper Rohit Sharma, sharing a picture of the trio on his social media account, a day after the record win in Rajkot.
In the absence of Virat Kohli and K L Rahul, the middle-order looked extremely vulnerable but after finally getting his big break, Sarfaraz showed he belonged at the biggest stage from ball one and piled on the runs like he did for years in domestic cricket.
Indian batters are not known for their sweep shots but in a welcome change, that is how Sarfaraz got most of his runs in the game.
He did not play the reverse that often but his conventional sweep and slog sweep off the spinners did fetch him a lot of runs and at the same time, put pressure on the opposition.
Jurel’s nimble work behind the stumps was hard to miss and was highlighted with his spectacular run out of in form England opener Ben Duckett in the second innings here.
With the bat, his supreme confidence was summed up best when he made a split second decision to play a ramp shot off express pacer Mark Wood and the ball sailed over the ropes.
Needless to say, Rohit was a pleased man and was quick to acknowledge the efforts of the inexperienced lot. On purpose, he did not gush over Jaiswal and Co, who have a long future ahead of them.
“It’s a very good feeling to win a game like that and especially with such a young team as well. (We had) two debutants (Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel) and not a lot of Test matches amongst the playing eleven as well.
“A lot of credit to these young boys who have come in and showed a lot of character. Looks like they actually belong here and they want to stay here as well,” said Rohit after the massive win on Sunday.
The opposition, however, was more effusive in praise for Jaiswal with Duckett calling him a “superstar in the making”.
For someone who slept in tents at the very same maidans of Mumbai where he practised in the morning, the motivation to get the big runs innings after innings comes naturally to Jaiswal.
“If you see, in India, you work really hard. Even while you go to catch a bus, train or any mode of transport, you have to try really hard. I have done that since my childhood and I know how important every innings is.
“That’s why I work hard in practice as I know every innings counts. The biggest motivation for me is to play for my country and I know I need to give my 100 per cent,” said Jaiswal, who is in the middle of his third Test series having made his debut against the West Indies last year.
While Jaiswal has cemented his place in the side with his remarkable consistency, Sarfaraz and Jurel will need to do more in the coming games to earn themselves an extended run.
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