Former India player Mohammad Kaif has urged the Indian selectors and team management to hand young and talented Yashasvi Jaiswal an ODI debut after his stellar performances in the recently concluded Test series against England. However, India beat England by an innings and 64 runs in Dharamsala on Saturday (March 9) to win the five-match series 4-1 as well. Meanwhile, Jaiswal was chosen as the Player of the Series for his 712-run aggregate in nine innings which came at an outstanding average of 89.00 as well.
On the Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues’, Kaif opined on Jaiswal’s brilliance against England as well. He said, “The sample size is very small but we have been seeing Jaiswal for many years. We have seen him in the Ranji Trophy and the IPL. He played splendidly in the IPL and he is an incredible player. He has not yet made his ODI debut. Give him an ODI debut as well. He is an all-format player, whether you talk about ODIs, T20s or Tests. As a batter, he has both defensive and attacking techniques.”
Kaif also added that Jaiswal showcased his capabilities by smashing James Anderson all around the park. Jaiswal hit 26 sixes during the five-match series. He hit Anderson for three consecutive sixes during his unbeaten 214-run knock in India’s second innings of the third Test in Rajkot as well.
Jaiswal hit two centuries, converting both into double tons, and three fifties during the five-match series. He has amassed 1028 runs in nine Tests which came at an excellent average of 68.53, with the help of three centuries. He has also smashed 502 runs in 16 T20I innings at an impressive strike rate of 161.93.
“When he makes up his mind and if it is required, he can go from the first to the sixth or seventh gear. Hitting Anderson for three sixes in three balls in a Test match shows how capable a batter he is. He didn’t look flustered at all, whether it was Bazball, or either Anderson or any bowler in front of him. It’s not easy for a youngster to use his game plan so well but Jaiswal showed that by doing it,” Mohammad Kaif concluded.
