'Young lad really played aggressively' - Michael Atherton impressed by Yashasvi Jaiswal's last session dominance against England

For his stellar display of aggressive batting, Yashasvi Jaiswal earned high praise from former England batter Michael Atherton for his standout performance on Day 1 of the Test match against England. His unbeaten 76 off 70 balls tilted the scales in India's favour after they bowled out the Ben Stokes-led side for 246 runs. The young Indian batter particularly targeted debutant spinner Tom Hartley as he dispatched him for a six on the very first ball of his Test career. On Day 2, Jaiswal was dismissed by Joe Root in the very next ball after he smashed a boundary.

Jaiswal's onslaught saw India post 119 runs on the board in just 23 overs, losing only one wicket by the day's end. Atherton remarked that his aggressive approach had put England on the defensive foot right from the outset and made it a challenging start to the Test series for the visiting side. His performance underscored India's dominance in the final session of the day, setting an intriguing tone for the rest of the match.

"It was a great day of cricket. It was a tough day for England, they definitely came off second best today, in particular, because of what happened right at the end of the day when the young lad Jaiswal really played aggressively. He really got stuck in to Tom Hartley on debut, an inexperienced player, but it was a definite attempt to get after Hartley on debut," Atherton said as quoted by India Today.

They got a look at Jaiswal today and he looks like a confident young lad: Atherton

On the opening day of the Test match, the southpaw showcased his attacking prowess with 9 boundaries and 3 sixes as he edged closer to his second Test century. Partnering with Shubman Gill, who scored an unbeaten 14 off 43 balls, Jaiswal displayed confidence from the outset. Atherton hailed India opener's assertive batting and noted that he didn't allow debutant Tom Hartley to settle into his Test career.

"Jaiswal, England supporters and bowlers won't have seen as much of him. They got a look at him today and he looks a really confident young lad. He played with real confidence and poise today and just took the game on. Seizing the moment, putting England on the back foot. Stokes would have loved for Hartley to ease his way in on debut but Jaiswal had other ideas,” he concluded.