Yashasvi Jaiswal, the young and promising Indian Test batsman, has set his sights on scaling new heights in his nascent Test career. He attributes his growth to the invaluable experience of batting alongside captain Rohit Sharma, whom he considers an exceptional mentor.
Jaiswal, who made his Test debut against the West Indies last year, has played nine Tests alongside Rohit, forming a formidable opening partnership. He has already notched up several century stands with his skipper, learning a great deal in the process.
“It’s an incredible experience whenever I bat with him,” Jaiswal shared on the eve of the Duleep Trophy. “He’s shared his experiences with me. The way he controls the game and reads the wicket is remarkable. There’s so much to learn from him.”
He elaborated on the specifics, saying, “You can learn from him things like adjusting your batting to seaming or turning tracks, or how to change your approach when wickets fall.”
Jaiswal, who has completed a year in international cricket, acknowledges that his understanding of his own game has significantly improved.
“Now, I can see a lot of scenarios and shift my game accordingly for the team, and read the situations. This has been a crucial development in the last year. During my domestic career, I wasn’t as aware of certain aspects. But since playing international cricket, communication and game reading have improved significantly. I just want to keep learning.”
The 22-year-old also highlighted the positive impact of new head coach Gautam Gambhir’s support.
“Yes, I have spoken with him during the Sri Lanka series. He really backed us, saying just go out and play freely, enjoy the game, and we will be with you. It gives us a lot of confidence and helps us play fearlessly.”
Jaiswal is keen to utilize the Duleep Trophy as a training platform to sharpen his skills ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
“I am working hard at nets, first for the Duleep Trophy and then for the Bangladesh series. It’s not about setting personal goals; you know in cricket you have to be consistent and keep working on your skills.”
He emphasizes the significance of domestic tournaments like the Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy, stating, “These tournaments are very important games. They give me a lot of confidence and help me prepare for international matches. I try to stay in my zone and contribute to the team’s winning cause. You get to learn a lot of things in tournaments like the Duleep Trophy. It’s very good to play such intense games ahead of a Test series.”
Having played a number of white-ball matches, Jaiswal is now focusing on adapting to the longer format.
“I think it’s just about the mindset, how quickly I can shift to the red-ball format. In practice sessions, I try to work on my skills and all the shots that I want to play.”
