"Was thinking of making it big": Yashasvi Jaiswal on double century against England

Feb 04, 2024

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 4 : Following a magnificent double hundred during the second day of second Test against England, young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal said that he was thinking about scoring big runs in the first innings and enjoyed expressing himself out in the field.
In a day dominated by the Indian team, particularly Jasprit Bumrah (6/45), Jaiswal's double hundred was perhaps the most wholesome moment of the entire day of action. The youngster, barely playing his 10th Test inning, managed to convert his first hundred at home into a double century and continued his meteoric rise in international cricket. His knock of 209 in 290 balls had 19 fours and seven sixes and was a massive one-man-army effort as nobody else in the star-studded Indian line-up managed to score even 40 runs.
In a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jaiswal said, "I enjoyed it, every ball and it was quite nice to go out there and express myself. I cannot explain. I do not have words. It was just too enjoyable and I felt happy."
https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1753954021797417241
Jaiswal said that his intent was to score big and also described his celebration, in which he was blowing kisses in the air to the crowd.
"I was thinking of making it big, 100 per cent. When I reached the double hundred, I wanted to celebrate and enjoy that moment. I just did like this (making gestures of his celebrations), kisses all to my loved ones," he added.
Reacting to legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's post on 'X' praising him, Jaiswal said, "Thank you so much sir for all your support and wishes. I will keep trying and learn."
Jaiswal on Saturday became the third-youngest Indian player in history to score a Test double hundred. Aged 22 years and 37 days, Jaiswal is the third-youngest Indian to get a double ton in Tests. The youngest player to get a double century for India is Vinod Kambli, who was aged 21 years and 35 days when he smashed 224 against England in Mumbai back in 1994. India batting icon Sunil Gavaskar held the record of youngest Indian player to get a double ton before Kambli, scoring 220 against a ruthless West Indies attack at Port of Spain in 1971 aged just 21 years and 283 days.
Jaiswal is only the fourth Indian left-hander besides Sourav Ganguly, Gautam Gambhir and Kambli to smash a Test double ton.
He has taken just 10 innings to reach his maiden double-century. Karun Nair notched his maiden double ton for India in just three innings, being the fastest Indian to do so.
In six Tests and 10 innings so far, he has scored 620 runs in 10 innings at an average of 68.88 and a strike rate of 63.85. He has scored a century, a double century and two fifties. With the batter having smashed 502 runs in 16 T20I innings at an average of 33.46 and a strike rate of 161.93 with a century and four fifties, Jaiswal could very well become India's newest all-format star once he receives his ODI cap.
At the age of just 22, Jaiswal has already notched double tons in the Irani Cup, Duleep Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Tests. This speaks a lot about his temperament and hunger for big runs.
India ended day two of the second Test at 28/0 in their second dig, with skipper Rohit Sharma (13*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (15*) unbeaten. The hosts lead by 171 runs.
Led by Bumrah's heroics, India had earlier bundled out England for just 253 in their first innings, gaining a 143-run lead. Zak Crawley (76 in 78 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes) did launch an impressive counterattack, but Bumrah along with spinner Kuldeep Yadav (3/71) blew away the rest of the English line-up.
India reached a respectable total of 396 runs in their first innings mainly due to the maiden double-hundred of the young Yashasvi Jaiswal (209 in 290 balls, with 19 fours and seven sixes). Knocks from Shubman Gill (34), Rajat Patidar (32), Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel (27 each) provided some help to the left-handed batter.