New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) Former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar was full of praise for Yashasvi Jaiswal after the young opener produced a masterful century on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley.

Speaking on JioHotstar after the opening session, Manjrekar said Jaiswal’s performance was no surprise, calling him “India’s best batter in Australia” and a player with a “solid Test match technique.”

“This performance doesn’t surprise me at all,” Manjrekar said.

“Jaiswal was India’s best batter in Australia. He was the only one consistent throughout the series, showing a solid defensive technique—playing close to the body, going deep in the crease, and handling anything pitched up, especially from someone like Mitchell Starc.”

Jaiswal’s innings in Leeds was a continuation of that assured form. On a warm afternoon in Yorkshire, he compiled a fluent 101, becoming the first Indian batter to score centuries in his debut Tests in both Australia and England. His knock was a symphony of control and elegance, featuring crisp off-side strokeplay — only 9 of his first 100 runs came on the leg side.

Jaiswal shared a crucial 123-run stand with new Test skipper Shubman Gill, who made a statement of his own, scoring his fastest Test fifty (off just 56 balls) in his first innings as captain. Gill’s positive intent helped India recover from a double blow just before lunch and pushed the scoring rate comfortably above four runs an over.

Deep Dasgupta, speaking alongside Manjrekar, applauded KL Rahul’s innings and pointed out how England’s strategy worked against debutant Sai Sudharsan. “KL Rahul played brilliantly but the ball was swinging more when he fell. For Sai, England’s team management deserves credit — they set up the field perfectly with two leg-side catchers, knowing his trigger movement,” he said.

Manjrekar was equally impressed with Ben Stokes’ captaincy, highlighting how England’s skipper sensed Sudharsan’s vulnerability and went “all in” to exploit it. “This is what makes this series exciting. Stokes adds 20% more winning chances to England just by how he leads,” he said.

Jaiswal reached his hundred with back-to-back boundaries off Brydon Carse, followed by a quick single — bringing out a triumphant helmet-off celebration and a roar of satisfaction. His second fifty came in just 48 balls before he fell to Ben Stokes just after Tea. The left-handed batter’s 101-run contribution had handed India the upper hand on Day 1 of the First Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy.

–IANS

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