In reflecting on his interaction with Yashasvi Jaiswal during the South Africa tour in December 2023, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar revealed that he gently chided the young batter for squandering his wicket in the Trinidad Test against West Indies after an impressive half-century. Despite scoring a century on debut, Jaiswal’s eagerness led him to fall short of another milestone in the subsequent match.
Nonetheless, Gavaskar expressed satisfaction witnessing Jaiswal’s remarkable performance in the recent Test series against England, where he emerged as the top scorer with an astounding 712 runs across five matches. Gavaskar fondly remarked on Jaiswal’s prolific run-scoring and his ability to assert dominance over the English attack.
Recalling their conversation in a hotel elevator during the South Africa tour, Gavaskar emphasized the importance of valuing one’s wicket and not conceding favors to bowlers. Despite initially heeding the advice with two substantial double centuries in the series against England, Jaiswal momentarily strayed from it, as evidenced by his three additional half-centuries.
Gavaskar humorously attributed this to the typical disregard for advice often associated with youth, a sentiment he could relate to from his own experiences. Drawing parallels to his own debut Test series in 1971, where he amassed over 700 runs, Gavaskar acknowledged the role of luck in his success, particularly citing instances where legendary cricketer Garry Sobers had afforded him opportunities to build innings.
Reflecting on Jaiswal’s achievements, which included equaling the Test record for most sixes in an innings, Gavaskar expressed hope that the young talent would continue to ascend to greater heights while acknowledging his indebtedness to Indian cricket for shaping his career.
Furthermore, Jaiswal’s accolade as the ICC ‘Player of the Month’ for February underscored his exceptional performance, marked by record-breaking feats and consistent contributions to the team. As Jaiswal continues to make strides in his career, Gavaskar’s words serve as a reminder of the importance of humility and gratitude towards the sport that has molded them into the players they are today.
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