Yashasvi Jaiswal cries on video call with father after record-breaking knock in India vs West Indies 1st Test
The journey has been long, but it’s just the beginning for young Yashasvi Jaiswal. Completing an unforgettable rags-to-riches story in his first-ever match for the Indian team, youngster Jaiswal repaid selectors’ faith by smashing a scintillating knock against the West Indies in the 1st Test on Thursday. The Indian opener stitched a record-breaking stand with skipper Rohit Sharma to fashion Team India’s convincing win over Kraigg Brathwaite’s men at Windsor Park in Dominica.
India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal raises his bat as he celebrates his century (ICC Twitter)
Jaiswal, who used to sell ‘panipuri‘ for pocket money, was in tears when he reached out to his father after smashing a memorable century. Jaiswal became India’s 17th batter to score a century on a Test debut in the curtain-raiser of the two-match series between Rohit’s men and the West Indies. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Jaiswal’s father revealed that the India opener gave him a call at around 4:30 AM in the morning during the Dominica Test.
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‘Jaiswal couldn’t hold back his tears’
“He called around 4:30 am in the morning (IST) after scoring his century (Day 2). He couldn’t hold back his tears. I cried too. It was a very emotional moment. He could not talk for a long time. He was tired. He just asked me ‘are you happy, father?’,” said Jaiswal’s father Bhupendra, who has a small paint shop in Bhadohi
The 21-year-old is the third Indian batter to register a score of 150 in his debut match for the Asian giants. Rewarded for his free-scoring run in domestic cricket, Jaiswal shared a crucial 229-run stand with skipper Rohit, who was mighty impressed by the temperament of the debutant. Jaiswal played an outstanding knock of 171 off 387 balls in which the Indian southpaw shattered multiple records.
At 21 years and 196 days of age, the India opener is the fifth youngest batter to score a 150 on debut in Test cricket. He is the seventh Indian to notch up a century on debut in an away Test match. The India opener also managed to break Mohammad Azharuddin’s record as he became the Indian batter to have faced the most number of balls on Test debut.
“It felt very nice getting the Player-of-the-Match award on debut. It’s been a long journey, feeling very happy and good about it. Let’s see what the future holds for me, this is just the start (of my international career). Pray to God that I continue playing like this, keep making (such) efforts and keep contributing for the team,” Jaiswal said after the match.
