ROOKIE JAISWAL STUNS ENGLAND

OPENER HITS AN UNBEATEN 179 AS INDIA CLOSE ON 336-6

- Malik Ouzia

YASHASVI JAISWAL confirmed his status as Indian cricket’s rising star with a stunning first home century as England were made to graft on the opening day of the Second Test in Vizag.

On a gorgeous batting track, a first Test wicket for debutant Shoaib Bashir and a 691st for the recalled James Anderson had the tourists content with their work at lunch, England hoping to take advantage of a depleted India to extend their 1-0 series lead.

The afternoon and evening, though, were Jaiswal’s, the opener unbeaten on 179 and India on top at 336 for six at the close of play.

Jaiswal enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2023, sparkling in the Indian Premier League and then making 171 on Test debut in the West Indies, but this is his first series on native soil and already the 22-year-old is on the brink of putting that maiden inning in the shade.

At the close, though, England are well in the fight, not least because of the knowledge that a 190-run first-innings lead proved insufficient for India in the series-opener a week ago.

Bashir’s second wicket — of Axar Patel late in the day — had the hosts five down and KS Bharat then followed to open up a long tail, with the absences of Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul through injury forcing India into a reshuffle.