India’s young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal played a brilliant innings on the first day of the Test match against England at Headingley, scoring 101 runs in tough conditions. His century was one of the main highlights of India’s strong performance.
After the match, Jaiswal had a friendly chat with his teammate Dhruv Jurel, which was shared by the BCCI. In the video, Jurel said that even before the series started, Jaiswal had promised himself that he would score runs in England no matter what.
“You told me that you just have to score runs in England,” Jurel recalled.
Jurel also shared that during practice, Jaiswal wanted the same challenge as real matches—especially when the ball was swinging a lot. “That stubbornness is what makes you different,” said Jurel, adding that he had seen this focus in Jaiswal since they were kids.
When asked how he is off the field, Jaiswal laughed and said, “You tell them!” Then he added, “I don’t do much. When I need to be serious, I stay serious. I try to keep my mind calm and focus on my preparation.”
this was Jaiswal’s first-ever Test innings on English soil and he ended up delivering big time. Firstly, his 91-run opening partnership with KL Rahul saw India start the Test match on a positive note. Though both Rahul and Sai Sudharsan lost their wickets one after another, the stand between Jaiswal and Gill helped in providing stability to the Men in Blue’s innings.
The duo formed a brilliant partnership of 129 as India crossed the 200-run mark on the loss of just two wickets. Just a few overs before the end of the second session, Jaiswal completed his century after facing 144 deliveries. This was the 23-year-old’s fifth Test ton and his third in overseas conditions.
The 23-year-old now has hundreds in his first Test matches in the West Indies, Australia, and England. At Leeds, he not only faced difficult bowling but also struggled with cramps in both hands. Still, he played with patience and hit 16 fours and one six in his 159-ball innings.
Jaiswal said, “Whenever I come here, I just want to do my best for my team and my country. I like to practise alone and prepare myself. I try to make sure every ball I face in practice helps me during tough times.”
His century proves how much he prepares before matches and how mentally strong he is—even in hard situations.
