Despite the absence of several key players, captain Rohit Sharma led India to a historic win in third Test against England in Rajkot on Sunday. With the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Mohammed Shami out of action due to various reasons, youngsters, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel, impressed as India went 2-1 up in the five match series. While Jaiswal scored his second double century in as many games, debutants Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel gave a good account of themselves, helping India register their biggest-ever Test win in terms of runs (434).
Sarfaraz hit half-centuries in both the innings, while Jurel scored a quickfire 46 in the first, apart from his sharp glovework behind the sticks.
However, it was Jaiswal who stole the show with his unbeaten 214. The 22-year-old achieved multiple feats during his stay in the middle.
He equalled Wasim Akram‘s record (12) of hitting the most sixes in an innings in Test cricket. Akram had also hit 12 sixes against Zimababwe in 1996.
After Jaiswal equalled his record, Akram recalled his knock in the Sheikhupura Test, saying that batting on track that wasn’t easy.
“My record (most sixes in an innings) wasn’t broken, it’s been equalled by Yashasvi Jaiswal. People talk a lot that it was Zimbabwe, but it wasn’t that easy. I remember we were around 170/6 when I went to bat,” Akram said on A Sports.
Akram had scored 257 but the match ended in a draw.
Meanwhile, Jaiswal played an unbeaten knock of 214* runs which was laced by 14 fours and 12 sixes. He built an unbeaten partnership of 172 runs along with Sarfaraz Khan, who played an unbeaten knock of 68* runs with the help of six boundaries and three sixes.
The 22-year-old reflected on his journey, the importance of working hard and said, “In India, when you grow up, you work really hard for each and everything. Even when getting the bus you have to work really hard to get on the bus. You have to work really hard to get to the train and auto and everything and I have done that since my childhood and I know how important every innings is and that’s why I work hard in my [practice] sessions and every innings counts for me and my team.”
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