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CHENNAI, Jan 22: Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal could cement his place in the Indian Test side during the upcoming five-Test series against England at home, feels the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. The former captain believes that the Indian pitches would allow the 20-year-old to express himself in a better manner than the hard and bouncy tracks of South Africa.
India last played a Test series in South Africa.
"The home pitches would be different. The pitches in South Africa were tough due to extra bounce, and even experienced batters struggle, whereas Yashasvi is a youngster," Gavaskar told Star Sports.
"However, with the approach that he displayed in Centurion and even in the West Indies, there's a belief that he would cement himself on the Indian tracks.
"You need a left-hander in the top order. Although I cannot say it with all certainty, he is likely to cement himself in the Test side in this series." Since his debut in the longest format last year in the West Indies, Jaiswal has scored 316 runs in seven Test innings at an average of 45.14, including a hundred and a half-century.
However, during the South Africa tour earlier this year, he could manage only 50 runs in four innings.
Former India seamer Irfan Pathan has termed the No.3 batting slot for Shubman Gill as a great responsibility, besides asserting that he will cherish it forever.
Gill came up with a poor performance at No.3 in South Africa, managing just 74 runs in four innings. However, Pathan believes that Gill is in the right zone with the correct mindset, and he should do well on the Indian pitches.
"It's a great role for him (to bat at no.3), and he will cherish it for the rest of his life. The comfort he showed in the South African pitches, he appears to be in the right zone.
"Although he might not have made a top score in South Africa, he is likely to carry the momentum and also capitalise on the Indian pitches well enough," Pathan said. |
