50 Years Later, Yashasvi Jaiswal Rewrites Indian Record at Old Trafford

At 23, Yashasvi Jaiswal has impressively notched eight 50+ scores in just nine Test matches against England, showcasing his dominance.

50 Years Later, Yashasvi Jaiswal Rewrites Indian Record at Old Trafford

Yashasvi Jaiswal became the first Indian opener after Sunil Gavaskar in 1974, to score a fifty at Old Trafford. (via ESPN Cricinfo)

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Yashasvi Jaiswal once again shattered a new record, becoming the first Indian opener after 51 years to score a half-century in a Test innings at Old Trafford, Manchester. The 23-year-old attained this rare feat, on the opening day of the ongoing fourth Test match between India and England. 

The Men in Blue already find themselves in a tough position in the five-match red-ball series against England, as they trail 1-2 at the end of the first three matches, making the ongoing Manchester clash a must-win one. The Indian team is on the backfoot, especially after a heartbreaking loss in the third Test at Lord’s, where they fell short by just 22 runs while chasing a modest target of 193 in the final innings.

However, India got off to a good start in the first innings at Old Trafford, after being put to bat. The Men in Blue ended the first session at 78/0, with Yashasvi Jaiswal cruising his way to a fifty, post-lunch. Jaiswal completed his half-century in the 35th over, overcoming his previous struggles at Lord’s. He took 96 deliveries to complete his second half-century of the series, hitting ten fours and a six. 

Jaiswal recent innings in Manchester also ended a 51-year drought, as he became the first Indian opener in over five decades to register a fifty at Old Trafford. The venue has proven challenging for the Indian team, where they are yet to secure a single Test victory in nine attempts. Prior to Jaiswal, the last Indian opener to reach a half-century at Old Trafford was Sunil Gavaskar, who scored 58 in the second innings of a Test match back in 1974.

Jaiswal’s half-century also makes him only the fifth Indian opener to do so in Manchester, joining a list that includes Nari Contractor, Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Merchant, and Syed Mushtaq Ali, therefore highlights the challenges faced by Indian top-order batters at this venue. In India’s last Test at Old Trafford in 2014, a match they lost by an innings and 54 runs, MS Dhoni was the sole Indian batter to record a 50+ score.

The 23-year-old meanwhile, also matched Sunil Gavaskar’s 58-runs at this venue, before being dismissed in the 41st over by Liam Dawson. This half-century also saw the Mumbai batter reach 1000 runs in Test cricket against England. Furthermore, he became the joint second-fastest Indian batter to hit the 1000-run milestone against England, equaling former captain Mohammad Azharuddin‘s record (16 innings).

In the ongoing India-England series, Jaiswal has so far accumulated 291 runs in four innings at an average of 41.57. Meanwhile, his opening partner, KL Rahul, narrowly missed joining Jaiswal on the elusive 50+ score list at Old Trafford, after being dismissed for 46.

Yashasvi Jaiswal Snaps His Bat in a Bizarre Way Off Chris Woakes’ Delivery on Day 1 at Old Trafford

Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a fifty on the opening day of the ongoing fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford, was sent scrambling for a new bat during his innings. The 23-year-old broke his bat while defending Chris Woakes‘ delivery.

Yashasvi Jaiswal bat broken
Yashasvi Jaiswal broke his bat, while facing one of Chris Woakes’ deliveries at Old Trafford. (via News 18)

The incident occurred during the ninth over of India’s first innings, on the fifth ball. Chris Woakes delivered a well-pitched, good-length ball that nipped bounced back in. Despite it being a relatively modest 126 kmph delivery and Jaiswal defending it on his back foot, the impact was severe enough to smash the connecting part of his bat, cracking the handle right at the edge.

Nonetheless, play had to be halted, with Karun Nair stepping onto the pitch with a set of replacement bats for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Armed with a new bat, the 23-year-old promptly hit Woakes for a boundary with a brilliant straight drive in the very next over.