No Kohli, no problem: Jaiswal leads charge of bright new India

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan (Pic: X/ @sachin_rt)

Young talented batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan were appreciated on Monday as the future of Indian Cricket after they played a crucial role in guiding the team to a historic win against England. The left-hander scored unbeaten 214 runs. He and Sarfaraz milked 172 runs to set up India's 434-run win in Rajkot on Sunday.

With the absence of Virat Kohli for the remaining of the matches and KL Rahul not being available for the third test, there had been fears for India's inexperience. Already missing destructive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who is still not quite ready to return after being hurt in a car crash in December 2022, it meant four of India's top five had just 33 Test caps between them.

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Despite the lack of experience, the 22-year-old Jaiswal scored his second consecutive double-century in a test and debutant Sarfaraz smashed 62 and 68 in his first international outing.

"Double hundred. Double fifty. This duo of Yashasvi & Sarfaraz has been double trouble for England," cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X, formerly twitter.

Taking to X:

Jaiswal who once stayed in Mumbai's tents and sold street food to pursue his sporting passion scored 171 on debut against West Indies. Since then, he never looked back. So far, he featured in just seven tests and averages 71.75, leads the series batting chart with 545 runs, and needs 139 in his next innings to become the fourth-quickest batsman in history to 1,000 Test runs, and the fastest in 75 years.

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Sarfaraz, 26, was presented with his Test cap by spin great Anil Kumble, with his teary-eyed wife and father looking on, and he handled the England spinners with panache and was unlucky to be run out in the first innings. "We need to see him in a few more Test matches," former chief selector MSK Prasad told Kolkata-based newspaper The Telegraph. "Jaiswal definitely has the ingredients to be the next superstar. He's proving to be an all-format player," he added. "The opportunities came knocking at their door just ahead of the transition period for Indian cricket, and it was really good to see these players grabbing the chances with both hands."

India have introduced a string of new players in the series including Rajat Patidar, 30, who made his debut in the second Test. Dhruv Jurel, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper who won his first Test cap in Rajkot alongside Sarfaraz, was dubbed "an instant hit on debut" by the Indian Express newspaper. "Yashasvi Jaiswal is a special talent, that he can play defensively 50 balls, so (has) good technique against the new ball, and unleash and get into T20 mode immediately," former batsman Sanjay Manjrekar told website cricinfo.

Sarfaraz, he added, "plays spin the best. And while watching him bat in the two innings I think India have found a brilliant middle-over batter for 50 overs cricket."

Debutant Jurel made 46 in the first innings and effected a run out on Ben Duckett which led to the collapse in England's batting on the fourth day. "Big victory, obviously it's a very good feeling to win a game like that, and especially with such a young team as well," said skipper Rohit Sharma.

(With AFP Inputs)