Yashasvi Jaiswal continued his dream run in red-ball cricket with another century. This time in the series-deciding fifth Test at The Oval.
On Day 3, the 23-year-old left-hander scored a crucial 118 - his fourth hundred against England, to help India post 396 runs in their second innings. With that, India set England a target of 374 and seized the upper hand in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
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Despite a few dropped chances, Jaiswal held the innings together. He shared a 107-run partnership with night-watchman Akash Deep who scored a career-best 66.
The hosts ended the day at 50/1 - still needing 324 more runs for a record-breaking chase.
Yashasvi Jaiswal credits Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli after century in IND vs ENG 5th Test
Reflecting on his knock after play, Jaiswal said he was mentally prepared to take on the challenge.
"It was a spicy wicket, I was enjoying batting here. I knew what shots to play on this surface.. My mentality is always like that - to be positive and show intent," said Jaiswal.
He added that he wanted to build on his start: "I wanted to do more, make my innings bigger than that. Mentality is to go out there and fight."
Jaiswal also praised Akash Deep's knock and revealed that Rohit Sharma - watching from the stands, sent him a message during the innings: "I saw him, and he gave me a message to keep playing."
Jaiswal credited his growth to the guidance of senior players.
"Different challenges of playing Tests in different countries, but learnt a lot from my seniors like Rohit bhai, Virat bhai. Now KL bhai, Gill. It's amazing to discuss with them, and learn from their experiences," he added.
Looking ahead, he sounded confident of India's chances. "There is movement off the wicket, will not be easy. We are quite confident to win," he concluded.
With India in a strong position, Jaiswal's century could prove decisive. If India go on to seal the win, his innings may well be remembered as the defining performance that helped square the series 2-2.