Former England player David Lloyd referred to Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal as their biggest challenge and wanted the visitors to lure him into false strokes by playing on his ego as well. The 22-year-old is the highest run-getter in the series after two Tests with 321 runs which came at an average of 80.75. It also includes a breathtaking 209 in the first innings of the second Test in Visakhapatnam to set up India’s series-leveling 106-run win as well.

In his column for the Daily Mail, Lloyd wrote, “Jaiswal is a dasher all right but he doesn’t have an obvious weakness, so I would be thinking slightly outside the box and rather than bowling the left-arm spinner against him with the new ball, I would be tempted to persevere with the off-spinner, placing temptation in the deep. I would like to see England play on Jaiswal’s ego bit more.”

“Shubman Gill stepped up in the second Test and the Indian batters are all well capable of getting massive scores. The one England have had the most problems with so far is Yashasvi Jaiswal and their challenge therefore is to try to work out a plan to dismiss the series’ leading run scorer,” he further added.

However, Yashasvi Jaiswal has made an impressive start to his Test career, averaging nearly 58 in six games, including an amazing 171 on debut against the West Indies. He also scored a quick-fire 80 off 74 balls in India’s first Test defeat at Hyderabad as well.

“Such ridiculously high totals at Rajkot suggest there is little difference whether you bat first or second, and in old money this would be a long, drawn-out match. However, there’s been a mind shift from England of course and we all know this team under Ben Stokes are going to be aggressive. It seems to be a venue where you can really give it a tonk. One of England’s top six has to get a massive hundred. If that happens, the team get 400. Scores of 250-270 are no good. Forget pleasant 50s and cameos of 20 and 30,” concluded David Lloyd.