'He Got Full Marks for Whatever Questions Were Asked of Him': Zaheer Khan Hails Young India Star

Veteran paceman Zaheer Khan heaped praise on young India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal for his aggressive batting approach against England in the first innings of the opening Test match in Hyderabad. Jaiswal dominated the English bowlers on Day 1 of the match and scored a sublime 47-ball half-century to put India in the driver’s seat. He scored an unbeaten 76 on the opening day

Riding on Jaiswal’s 70-ball blitz, India closed the opening day at 119 for 1 while replying to England’s first innings total of 246 all out.

However, the southpaw failed to convert it into a triple-figure mark and was dismissed early on Day 2 for 80 by Joe Root.

Meanwhile, Zaheer heaped praise on Jaiswal and talked about how he put pressure on the English bowlers on Day 1 with his fearless batting approach.

“That’s why he needs to be praised more. He got full marks for whatever questions were asked of him. If someone is a good front-foot player, the bowler tries to make him play more off the back foot. If someone does not use his feet, you try to bowl a little slower as a spinner and force him to use his feet. If you have all those attributes, you can put pressure on any bowler,” Zaheer told Colors Cineplex.

Jaiswal wrapped himself with the leader’s cape despite the presence of his captain Rohit Sharma (24, 27 balls) at the other end, tearing into England bowlers with gusto. He shared a 80-run stand with the skipper to put the visitors on the backfoot.

The gap between runs and balls could give the left-hander’s innings a hue of carelessness but it was anything but that.

Jaiswal started his and the team’s innings with a clipped boundary to square leg off pacer Mark Wood, but that was just the appetizer as the left-hander offered a harsh welcome to Tom Hartley to international cricket.

The 22-year-old smashed the England left-arm spinner for two sixes in his first over, one over long-on and the other in front of the square.

The legendary pacer was impressed with Jaiswal’s positive mindset from the first ball itself as he started off with a boundary off Mark Wood’s delivery to start the proceedings.

“We got to see some amazing shots off both the front and back foot. The positive mindset was evident from the first ball,” he added.