The Men in Blue cruised to the target in the third and final ODI.
Batting in the 50-over format can be quite intimidating. Knowing when to let the bowlers play out and when to put the foot on the accelerator is one of the most important skills for a batter to master. For Yashasvi Jaiswal, the advisory front was in his stride while he raced his way to a maiden ODI ton in Vishakhapatnam. Virat Kohli was at the other end of the crease, which made Jaiswal’s job a lot easier.
There shouldn’t be any credit taken away from the young left-handed opener, who became the sixth Indian player to score a hundred in every format of the game. He took his time to start with the innings, but started playing his shots freely once he got to his half-century. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener got starts in each of the first two ODIs, but could not capitalise on the starts he got.
The 23-year-old ODI centurion credited Virat Kohli for guiding him on the way to his maiden ODI century, stating that the Indian No.3 was constantly setting small targets for Jaiswal to achieve – which helped him keep his head down and focus on those. The left-handed batter is also known to have a wonderful relationship with former skipper Rohit Sharma.
“Virat paaji, the minute he came, he started playing a lot of shots, and we kept chatting as well. He kept giving me small targets that I need to focus on. So, it was helping towards my goal as well. So, I really enjoyed it,” Jaiswal expressed post the game.
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It is no secret that Virat Kohli is known as the modern day chasemaster. The Indian ODI No.3 has mastered the art of ODI batting in particular, and knows his ways around any situation in the game. In the 3rd ODI, Kohli guided Jaiswal on the way to his maiden ODI ton. However, for a long time now, the chasing method that Virat Kohli follows has included the art of ‘setting small targets.’
The 37-year-old has been extremely vocal about how batting second in the match gives him a fine idea about what is required to be executed depending on how big or small the target is. Almost 55% of the runs scored by Virat Kohli in ODIs have been singles, doubles or three runs – which have not been boundary hitting shots. This says a lot about the player’s mindset and reading of the game.
That being said, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s century in the 3rd and final ODI will put him in good stead, but will increase the headache for the selectors and team management. After Shubman Gill’s return to the side, finding a place for the youngster in the side would be all the more difficult with Gill leading the side and Rohit Sharma performing brilliantly.
The team management will have to be ready with solutions for the questions that will arise after Gill and Shreyas Iyer are back. The latter has been a vital cog in India’s ODI setup over the last two years. Having said that, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a brilliant ton in the second ODI at Raipur. Selecting a 15-man squad for the ODI World Cup in 2027 would be an uphill task and the only thing which could help the team would be communicating with the players.
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