India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s remarkable Test century at Headingley was one of the key talking points from the side’s dominant outing on the opening day of the Test. After scoring a superb 101 in challenging conditions against England, Jaiswal was joined by teammate Dhruv Jurel for a post-match chat that offered fans a candid peek into his preparation and mindset.
The pair, long-time teammates, spoke on camera in a video shared by the BCCI, where Jurel highlighted the self-imposed pressure Jaiswal carried to perform in England, even before the official series began.
“When we were playing for India A, you told me you just have to score runs in England no matter what,” Jurel recalled.
“Even when the ball was moving a lot, you wanted the same challenge in the nets. I think that stubbornness is what makes you different. I’ve seen it since we were kids. But tell everyone what you’re like off the field when there’s no match.”
Jaiswal responded with a grin: “You tell them!” He added, “I don’t do much. When I need to be serious, I stay serious. I focus on my preparation and try to keep my mind calm. That really helps me.”
The 23-year-old’s hundred at Leeds continued an extraordinary pattern; he has now scored centuries in his first Test in the West Indies, Australia, and England. On Friday, Jaiswal weathered difficult early spells, battled cramps in both hands, and still managed to hammer 16 boundaries and a six in his 159-ball effort.
“Whenever I come here, I just want to give my best for my team and my country. I really enjoy practising alone and preparing myself. I try to make sure every ball I face in practice helps me when I’m in tough situations,” he said.
“You know this too, that there are so many moments when we’re under pressure.”
Recalling a key moment from the India ‘A’ build-up, Jaiswal added: “Harshit Rana and Bumrah bhai were bowling really well. I wasn’t scoring runs easily but I kept playing. That gave me a lot of confidence and belief that I can survive and get through tough phases.”
India 359/3
Alongside Jaiswal, Shubman Gill made an excellent start to his captaincy stint, remaining unbeaten on 127 at the end of the day’s play. Gill remained a composed figure throughout his stay at the crease on Day 1, and will be aiming to continue with the same intensity on Saturday.
Rishabh Pant, too, showed his class as he walked back unbeaten on 65 at the end of day’s play, with India comfortably dominating the English bowlers.
