India's talented batter Yashasvi Jaiswal shared veteran batter Virat Kohli's advice to him when he made his debut for the national team. Jaiswal revealed Kohli's advice to him as he is touring Australia for the first time. Jaiswal also expressed his admiration for Virat Kohli and said that the veteran also advised him to be disciplined and follow the process. However, Team India are all set to play against Australia for the five-match Test series of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

"I feel like I will be better day by day" - Yashasvi Jaiswal

"When I started playing like senior cricket, I did speak to Virat Paji that how he managed himself. Paji has said to me that if I want to play all that cricket, then I have to be disciplined in my daily routines and follow the process. So I have seen him doing the stuff consistently day by day. Actually, seeing him, it motivates me a lot to put in the work and do something and make a difference in my habits, which is really important for me. I feel like I will be better day by day," Jaiswal said in a video posted by BCCI.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been often spotted training along with the legendary batter Virat Kohli in the nets as he aims to follow in the footsteps of Kohli. Before the ongoing Test, he has scored 1,407 runs at an average of 56.28, with a strike rate of 70.13. He has three tons and eight fifties to his name, with the best score of 214* as well.

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While he was excited about his very first Test tour to Australia, he failed to do well in the first innings. He could face 8 balls only before Mitchell Starc sent him in. On the other hand, Virat Kohli too failed to step up and his poor form continued. He could manage 5 runs off 12 balls before Hazlewood dismissed him as well.

"It is my first trip to Australia. I am very excited to play here" - Yashasvi Jaiswal

"It is my first trip to Australia. I am very excited to play here. I want to play well and do well. It is different here. The ball is different, the wicket is different. But I think we know that. I think we are ready mentally. I really want to be in. I want to go in. I want to see it. I want to be there. Because people, a lot of time they talk about stuff. This happened, that happened. But I want to go and face it and I want to enjoy that moment with a smile. That is all I think about. Because until you are not there, you actually do not really feel what it is. I always see it this way. And it is always an opportunity for me to go out there and learn," he added.

"And I try my best to sleep well and eat well before the practice, I focus on recovery. And I try to be fresh for practice sessions," he again shared. "I am really blessed to have these opportunities, and I am ready for it mentally, physically. I want to play fearless and I want to enjoy," he concluded.

In the latest ICC Test batting ranking announcement, former Indian captain Virat Kohli slipped to the lowest points in the last 10 years. 

While the 36-year-old Virat Kohli is playing the senior batter role of the Test team, he recently disappointed in the three-match home Test series against New Zealand. While India suffered a shocking 3-0 defeat in the home Test series, the right-handed batter scored only 93 runs in six innings. 

After scoring a duck in the Test series opener at Bengaluru, Kohli scored fighting 70 runs in their second innings of the Bengaluru Test. However, his next four innings scores were 1, 17, 4, and 1 run, respectively. 

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Virat Kohli is now in the 22nd ICC Test batting rankings

Kohli’s poor batting performances forced him to go down eight spots in the ICC Test batting rankings as he is standing in 22nd place. It is his worst ICC Test batting rankings in almost the last 10 years. Last time, Kohli was outside the top 20 ICC Test batting rankings in December 2014. Meanwhile, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma also slipped to 26th position. 

While Indian batters Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill strongly performed in the recently concluded home Test series against New Zealand, they are in strong positions in the ICC Test batting rankings. 

Pant, Gill, and Jaiswal are shining in the Test batting rankings

Rishabh Pant finished the Test series as the leading run-scorer with 261 runs, including three half-centuries. By climbing to the five spots, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter’s latest Test batting ranking is no. 6. 

Despite scoring 190 runs, the opener Jaiswal slipped one place to shining at the fourth place. While Shubman Gill scored 144 runs, he improved his rating to four places by standing in the 16th position. 

Sarfaraz Khan, who shined in the Bengaluru Test with a 150-run knock, scored only 21 runs in the next four innings. By falling to 11 places, he is standing in the joint 77th place.

English star Joe Root and New Zealand star Kane Williamson are in the first and second positions, respectively, in the latest ICC Test batting rankings. The new English star Harry Brook is in third place in the Test batting rankings. 

During the Pune Test, the 22-year-old left-handed opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal created a new history for the Indian national cricket team.  

After losing the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, the hosts India are now going through the must-win games as they can’t afford another defeat in the three-match Test series. 

After bowling out the visitors for 259 runs in the first innings of the Pune Test, India lost the opener and captain Rohit Sharma in the first-day evening session.

Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and the no.3 batter Shubman Gill provided a good start for the hosts. Both scored 30 runs each.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored 1000+ Test runs in 2024 at the age of 22 years

With his 30 runs, Jaiswal became the first Indian batter to record 1000+ Test runs in a year at the age of 22 or lesser years. The left-handed Indian opener scored 1007 runs in this calendar year while he started the Pune Test match at the age of 22 years and 301 days. 

In 10 Tests in 2024, Jaiswal has scored 1007 runs with an average of 59.23, including two centuries and six half-centuries. However, both his centuries were actually double centuries. 

Jaiswal hit two successive double-hundreds during the back-to-back Visakhapatnam and Rajkot Tests against England last February. After scoring 209 runs against the Visakhapatnam Test, he scored 214 not out in the Rajkot Test. 

Graeme Smith was the first opener

Jaiswal is the second opener to record 1000+ Test runs in a calendar year at the age of 22 or lesser years. Former South African captain Graeme Smith scored 1198 Test runs in 2003 as an opener.

Overall, Jaiswal became the fifth batter to score 1000+ Test runs in a calendar year at the age of 22 or lesser years. 

Players with 1000 Test runs in a calendar year at the age of 22 or lesser years

In their first innings of the Kanpur Test, India thrashed the world record for the fastest team 50 runs in Test cricket history (according to ESPNcricinfo data available).

Fastest team 50 runs in just 3 overs

After bundling out the visitors Bangladesh for 233 runs in the first innings, India stormy replied by completing 50 runs in just three overs or 18 balls. Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma destroyed Bangladesh bowlers in the early stage of the innings.  

India broke England’s previous joint records of scoring the first 50 runs in just 4.2 overs against West Indies in the 2024 Nottingham Test and 2024 Birmingham Test. 

Teams completing the fastest 50 runs in a Test innings (where the ball-by-ball data is available)

Fastest team 100 runs in just 10.1 overs

Soon, in the 10.1 overs, team India completed 100 runs. It set a new record for the fastest team 100 runs in Test cricket history. India completed the 100 runs with a boundary by the opener Jaiswal. This time India broke their own record, which they set during the 2023 Port of Spain Test, where team India completed their first 100 runs in just 12.2 overs.

Teams completing the fastest 100 runs in a Test innings (where the ball-by-ball data is available)

India continued their home dominance in Tests with a commanding 280-run win over Bangladesh at Chepauk, going 1-0 up in the two-match series. After being asked to bat in overcast conditions, India found themselves in trouble at 144/6. However, a brilliant 199-run partnership between Ravindra Jadeja (86) and Ravichandran Ashwin (113) helped India post a formidable 376. Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud made history, claiming a fifer, but their batters faltered in reply, managing only 149, with Jasprit Bumrah leading India's charge with 4/50.

India’s second innings saw centuries from Shubman Gill (119*) and Rishabh Pant (109), setting a daunting target of 515 for Bangladesh. Despite a solid start from Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, Bangladesh’s batters struggled against India's spinners. Najmul Hossain Shanto fought valiantly with 82, but Ashwin’s 6/88, equaling Shane Warne’s record of 37 five-wicket hauls, sealed a comprehensive victory for India. Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with three wickets, ensuring a strong start to India’s home Test season.

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How India's Batters Falter Against the New Ball in Tests

The graphic highlights India's struggles against Bangladesh’s new-ball bowlers in the first 15 overs of their first innings in the Chepauk Test. It visually represents the False Shot Induced Rate (FSIR), which measures how often Indian batters were induced into playing false shots, defined as the number of false shots per number of balls faced. This metric is broken down based on different bowling lines, helping identify where the Bangladesh seamers had the most impact.

The chart is divided into four distinct zones, each representing different lines where deliveries were pitched. The outside-off stump zone (represented on the left) indicates deliveries bowled wide outside the off stump. The false shot rate for this zone is marked NAN, which suggests that no false shots were induced from deliveries in this area, perhaps because the deliveries were too wide for the batters to engage.

In the good length zone (just outside the off-stump), the false shot rate is 4.4%. This area was more effective for the Bangladesh seamers, inducing several mistakes from the Indian batters. The high percentage indicates that deliveries in this line posed significant problems for India’s top order, likely contributing to their early struggles.

The middle and off-stump region had a false shot rate of 3.3%. This central zone represents a line where the Bangladesh bowlers applied steady pressure. The slightly lower percentage compared to the good length outside off-stump suggests that Indian batters were somewhat more composed when defending their stumps but still vulnerable.

On the leg-stump line, the false shot rate drops to 3.0%. Although this area induced fewer mistakes, it indicates that India’s batters occasionally played false shots when deliveries were aimed at their pads. However, this zone was the least problematic for the Indian lineup, as it allowed them to play more confidently on the leg side.

Overall, the image shows that India’s batters struggled most with deliveries in the good length region just outside off-stump during the first 15 overs. This vulnerability to movement outside off-stump contributed to their precarious start and highlights an area they need to address in the upcoming Test to avoid similar issues against Bangladesh’s seam attack.

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India’s focus now shift to the second Test against Bangladesh, set to begin on September 27 at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. After their commanding 280-run victory in the first Test in Chennai, India will be looking to seal the series 2-0. Among the star performers like R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant, a quiet yet crucial innings from Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first Test went unnoticed. The young batter, who weathered early pressure, is now on the verge of achieving a remarkable milestone in the second Test.

Jaiswal's quest for 1000 Test runs in 2024

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in phenomenal form this year. The 21-year-old cricketer, who made his debut only last year, has rapidly become a key player for India across formats. In the first Test, while big names grabbed the spotlight, Jaiswal played a composed innings, scoring a crucial fifty when the team was under pressure. As India gears up for the Kanpur Test, Jaiswal stands just 194 runs away from becoming the first batter to reach 1000 Test runs in 2024. With 806 runs already to his name, he is second only to Joe Root, who has scored 986 runs in the calendar year. The upcoming Test presents Jaiswal with the perfect opportunity to surpass Root and etch his name in the history books.

See Also: Know about Kanpur pitch report for the upcoming second Test against Bangladesh

India has retained the same squad for the second Test, but the conditions in Kanpur could prompt changes in the playing XI. The pitch is expected to be more favorable to spinners compared to the Chepauk surface, where pacers had a bigger role. Kuldeep Yadav, known for his ability to extract turn on low-bounce pitches, might get a nod ahead of one of the pacers. Jasprit Bumrah could be rested, while Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep could lead the pace attack. With the spinners likely to play a more significant role, R Ashwin, who picked up six wickets in the final innings of the first Test, will be crucial once again.

Best XI of 2020s: Jaiswal, Head, and more

As the cricketing world inches towards the halfway mark of the 2020s, a number of players have emerged as standout performers across formats. Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite being a newcomer, has already made his mark and is included in the list of best XI players of the 2020s. Partnering him at the top is Australia’s Travis Head, whose recent performances in the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup finals against India have solidified his reputation as a destructive force. Other players like Babar Azam, Joe Root, and Rohit Sharma also make the cut, having contributed consistently to their respective teams over the years.

In the bowling department, Shaheen Afridi, Mitchell Starc, and Jasprit Bumrah lead the pace attack, with Ravichandran Ashwin included as the primary spinner. With all these stars shining brightly, the second Test in Kanpur is set to be an exciting contest, with Yashasvi Jaiswal eyeing a historic milestone.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s rising star in Test cricket, is facing the challenges that come with the much-dreaded second season after a phenomenal debut. As India gears up for their Test series against Bangladesh starting September 19, Jaiswal has been training hard in the nets, going up against none other than the formidable Jasprit Bumrah. The young batter, however, struggled against Bumrah’s pace and swing during the net session, raising concerns about his readiness for the upcoming tests, especially with tougher overseas assignments on the horizon.

Jaiswal faces heat from Bumrah in the net
During India’s net practice session, Jaiswal found himself repeatedly undone by Bumrah's lethal deliveries. The young batter, who is often seen as India’s future cricketing megastar, was left searching for his off-stump as Bumrah clean-bowled him twice and regularly beat the outside edge of his bat. Even practice bowlers Simarjeet Singh and Gurnoor Brar managed to trouble him, with deliveries testing his patience and technique. Jaiswal struggled to find his form, showing visible discomfort against pace, bounce, and swing.

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 Kohli and Jaiswal work together to overcome challenge
Amidst these struggles, the legendary Virat Kohli was seen offering guidance to Jaiswal, providing advice on where he might be going wrong. Both batters spent nearly an hour in the nets, with Jaiswal working on leaving deliveries and adjusting his technique. Kohli, known for his solid game against pace, also faced challenges from Bumrah but responded with his trademark cover drives. Jaiswal, while more comfortable against spinners, continues to refine his game ahead of the critical Test series, where tougher tests like Australia await later in the season.

The opening T20I of the three-match series between India and Sri Lanka is set for Saturday, July 27, at Pallekele International Stadium. In this first game, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has the chance to set a major international record as the first batter worldwide to achieve it.

Having debuted for India last year, the young southpaw has scored 953 runs in 16 innings across 11 matches this year. The Rajasthan Royals star is now just 7 runs away from becoming the first batter in 2024 to reach 1,000 runs in international cricket across all formats.

The 22-year-old has scored 740 runs in six Tests and 213 runs in five T20Is. Although the Mumbai-based cricketer was part of the Indian squad that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA last month, he did not play in any of the matches.

Before the T20I series against India began, Sri Lanka suffered two major setbacks with injuries to Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara. Both star fast bowlers have been ruled out of the series, which will be played entirely in Pallekele.

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India’s squad for the T20I series : Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Khaleel Ahmed, and Shivam Dube.

India’s rising stars Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill made big jumps in the ICC T20I rankings after their impressive performances on the Zimbabwe tour. Jaiswal moved up four spots to reach 6th place with 743 points, just behind Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Travis Head stayed at the top of the rankings, with Suryakumar Yadav and England’s Phil Salt tied for second with 797 points each.

Shubman Gill, who captained India for the series, climbed a remarkable 36 places to secure the 37th spot. This made him the fourth highest ranked Indian in T20I, ahead of Rohit Sharma (42nd) and Virat Kohli (51st), who recently retired from T20I cricket. Gill now trails only Suryakumar Yadav (2nd), Jaiswal (6th), and Ruturaj Gaikwad (8th) among Indian batters.

Jaiswal and Gill shine in ICC T20I rankings

Gill and Jaiswal seized their opportunities, emerging as top run scorers in the series. Gill was the leading run scorer with 170 runs in five matches, boasting a strike rate of 125.93 and an average of 42.50.

Impressive performances on the Zimbabwe tour

After missing the first two T20Is, Jaiswal made a splash with an unbeaten 93 in the fourth T20I, scoring a total of 141 runs in three matches at an average of 70.50 and an impressive strike rate of 165.88. Their contributions helped India win the five match series against Zimbabwe 4-1.

Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani also saw a rise, moving up 11 places to 44th in the T20I bowlers rankings. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar climbed 36 spots to 46th, and Mukesh Kumar moved up 21 places to 73rd.

England’s Adil Rashid remained the top ranked T20I bowler, while Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza rise to third in the all-rounders rankings after his strong performances against India.

Sanju Samson was the star of the match as India beat Zimbabwe by 42 runs to win the series 4-1 on Sunday, July 14.

Samson led India to a 42 run victory over Zimbabwe in Harare, ending the series with a 4-1 score. His impressive 58 runs and Mukesh Kumar’s great bowling secured the win. Zimbabwe struggled with their middle order and couldn’t chase 168 runs, getting bowled out for 125.

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bowl first. Raza bowled the first over with a no ball that Yashasvi Jaiswal hit for six. After another six on the free hit, Raza bowled Jaiswal out.

Sanju Samson Leads India to Victory

Zimbabwe’s bowlers were disciplined and took the wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, reducing India to 40 for 3 in 5 overs. Samson quickly found form, stabilizing the innings with Riyan Parag, adding 65 runs together.

After Parag’s dismissal, Samson accelerated with help from Shivam Dube, who scored 26 off 12 balls. Samson’s 58 off 45 balls was crucial before Zimbabwe fought back by taking his wicket. Rinku Singh’s final hits pushed India’s total to 167 in 20 overs, setting a challenging target.

Zimbabwe Struggles with the Chase

Zimbabwe’s chase started badly, with Mukesh Kumar dismissing Wessley Madhevere for a duck in the first over. He took Brian Bennett’s wicket in his second over and nearly got Tadiwanashe Marumani out, but a no ball saved Marumani, who then attacked Ravi Bishnoi.

Marumani and Dion Myers added 44 runs before Washington Sundar dismissed Marumani. Myers and Raza built another partnership, but things fell apart after Myers was dismissed by Dube. Zimbabwe collapsed from 85 for 3 to 90 for 6 in two overs, including a mix up leading to Raza’s run-out. Abhishek Sharma took another wicket, leaving Zimbabwe struggling at 94 for 7.

Faraz Akram’s late hitting provided some excitement, but Mukesh Kumar finished the job, ending with 4-22 as India won the series 4-1.

Indian youngsters shine despite criticism

After losing the first T20I, India’s young players faced criticism, labeled as IPL stars. However, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ravi Bishnoi stepped up, ensuring an easy series win.

The inclusion of World Cup squad members like Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shivam Dube strengthened the team, proving too much for Zimbabwe. Shubman Gill’s effective captaincy also contributed to the success, leaving him pleased with his team’s performance.

With an upcoming tour in Sri Lanka, it’s uncertain who will join the T20I series as India begins a new chapter under Gautam Gambhir.

Gill though impressive as captain, faced mixed reviews for his batting. As the series top run scorer, his choice to open the innings over emerging players like Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma sparked debate. Gill might consider batting at No. 3 to secure his place in the T20I team, taking inspiration from players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on adapting and thriving in the format.