Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored two consecutive half-centuries against Bangladesh in the ongoing Test series.
New Delhi: In red-hot form in Test cricket this year, India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal broke Ajinkya Rahane’s record for most runs in a single edition of the World Test Championship. Jaiswal went past his Mumbai captain during his knock of 51-ball 72 against Bangladesh in the second innings of the ongoing second Test at Green Park in Kanpur.
Having made his Test debut in West Indies, Jaiswal has so far scored 1166 runs against his name in 19 innings, including two double centuries. Rahane, who last played a Test match for India in 2023, had amassed 1159 runs in 18 matches in the 2019-21 WTC cycle.
Current India captain Rohit Sharma is the only other batter to have managed 1000-plus runs in a single edition of a WTC Cycle. In the 2019-21 WTC cycle, Rohit had scored 1094 runs in 12 matches. Former England captain Joe Root holds the record for most runs in a single edition WTC with 1915 runs in 22 matches. He got the runs in the 2021–23 WTC cycle.
As far as Jaiswal is concerned, the southpaw broke former India opener Virender Sehwag’s feat of fastest fifty by an Indian in the longest format. Jaiswal reached his fifty in 31 balls, eclipsing Sehwag, who reached the milestone in 32 balls against South Africa in Chennai (2008). Jaiswal’s teammate Rishabh Pant holds the record for fastest fifty by an Indian when he scored a 28-ball half-century against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took two quick wickets to reduce Bangladesh to 26/2 in their second innings as India grabbed complete command of the rain-hit second Test at close on the fourth day on Monday. Bangladesh still trail by 26 runs. Ashwin did the damage with a two-wicket haul (2/14). Earlier, aggressive fifties by Jaiswal and KL Rahul placed India in a commanding position.
Jaiswal (71 off 52 balls) and Rahul (68 off 43 balls) helped India declare their first innings at 285 for nine for a lead of 52 runs. Virat Kohli made a fluent 47 off 35 balls. For Bangladesh, veteran left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan picked four wickets (4/78) along with off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4/41) to check the free-flowing Indian batters as they scored runs in excess of eight an over. Earlier, Bangladesh were bundled out for 233 in their first innings.