Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his maiden century on England soil, expressed his joy at the post-match press meet and shared the special moments and companionship of batting with his captain, Shubman Gill.
Jaiswal registered his 3rd overseas century—and his first on English soil—on Day 1 of the first Test. His knock of 101(159) included 16 fours and 1 six. The opening partnership of 92 with KL Rahul gave India a solid start in the first session, before two quick wickets fell at the end of Session 1. A shaky beginning to Session Two was steadied by Jaiswal and Gill, who shared a 123-run stand. During this, Jaiswal brought up his landmark hundred.
A Special Hundred for Jaiswal
Speaking about his century during the post-day press conference, Jaiswal was elated and described it as a special moment.
"Whenever I make a century, wherever it is, I enjoy it. I love it, as all my centuries are special. But of course, there are some special moments... first (century in England)," Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal on Gill Partnership and Batting Strategy
He then reflected on his partnership with Shubman Gill, emphasizing their understanding at the crease. He also credited Gill’s calm and composed knock for helping him settle.
"We were speaking a lot in the middle, and we were trying to take it session by session and try and get as many runs as possible.
There was an amazing camaraderie between us. It was amazing to bat with him (Gill), and the way he batted—calm and composed—I enjoyed it a lot, and it was helping me," he added.
Jaiswal also shared his strategy for tackling England’s bowling. His knock, which featured 16 boundaries, reflected his approach of putting away bad balls and adapting to the team’s needs.
"The strategy was to put away the bad balls, time and place the shots well. I was just thinking about handling the situation, where the England team was keeping fielders or in which areas they were bowling."
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Jaiswal on Adapting Across Formats and Handling Pressure
The 23-year-old also spoke about the challenges of adapting to different formats and stages of the game. He highlighted how being in a positive environment helped him perform under pressure.
"Challenges will always be there in cricket, just that it will be different in different stages. I was trying to trust my process and mindset and was trying to express myself.
To switch mentally is very important—how you think or in which environment you are in. It helps you to enjoy the game when you are playing under pressure," he noted.
Moreover, Jaiswal admitted that the practice matches with India A played a key role in helping him adapt to local conditions, and the inputs from coaches contributed significantly to his performance in the first Test.
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