Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s opener, missed out on his second Test century on Thursday when he chased a delivery beyond the offstump and was caught off Jason Holder’s bowling, just after reaching a strong half-century.
“Of course I’m disappointed,” Jaiswal said at the close of the first day of play at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. “I need to keep learning and preparing for the next time I find myself in that situation.” It’s all right, it’s cricket.
“Every time, I want to make sure I can contribute and play well for the team.” That is the goal of every match: to lay a solid foundation for the squad.
“Whenever I bat, I try to bat for a long time.” When we go, there is, of course, disappointment. It’s cricket; we need to keep learning what we can do better the following time. It’s always a pleasure to play for the country, to appreciate the pressure, the circumstance, the wicket, and the surroundings.”
There is a lot of information to process on a squad with several established batters, including coach Rahul Dravid. Jaiswal wants to take in everything, but he must be prudent in determining what is best for his game.
“Everyone has their own way of telling things, and everyone has their own set of experiences.” So I’ll listen to everything that’s stated, figure out what suits my game, and attempt it. When I’m with experienced individuals when they say, I can see there’s some thought behind it. I enjoy hearing them and experimenting to see what suits my game and how I can improve it. Getting information, experience, and learning from them – seemingly insignificant things – is fantastic.”
After being put in to bat, India made a solid start, with the openers putting on a 139-run stand. The left-handed opener confesses that India were not surprised by the West Indies’ decision to bowl first because the pitch was slightly different from the one used in the previous Test in Domnica.
“We were prepared for anything came our way. This wicket was distinct from the previous one. It felt fantastic to bat on, and I was having fun batting with Rohit bhaiya. We’re always discussing the situation and how we can go forward. Of course, we had plans for what we could do.”
India faltered slightly after a good opening stand. Shubman Gill fell cheaply after Jaiswal’s dismissal, and Rohit returned to the pavilion soon after, falling 20 short of a century. Ajinkya Rahane struggled as well, but Virat Kohli stabilized the innings with an unbeaten 87 in his 500th international game, helping the visitors to 288 for 4 at stumps.
“We’ve been doing well at the plate. We will consider having a good target. Let’s wait and see what happens tomorrow. It’s always fun to watch him bat and bat alongside him (Virat Kohli). He’s a legend, and I consider myself fortunate to have played alongside him. It’s fantastic to hang out with him and learn from him. There is a lot to learn from him, so keep an eye on what he does both off and on the field. It’s a pleasure to converse with him and learn from him.”
