NEW DELHI: Young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal capped off a remarkable 2024 with another stellar performance in the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Despite his twin half-centuries, his efforts fell just short of saving the match for India, who suffered a 184-run defeat.
Australia dominated the contest from the outset, but Jaiswal’s batting kept India in the hunt in both innings. In the first innings, he scored a confident 82 off just 118 balls before an unfortunate run-out following a mix-up with Virat Kohli cut his innings short. In the second innings, chasing 340, Jaiswal stood tall once more, compiling a gritty 84 off 208 balls before falling to a controversial third umpire decision. His wicket in the fourth innings marked the end of India’s resistance as the team was bowled out for 155.
Jaiswal’s efforts in Melbourne etched his name in the record books. By scoring 82 and 84 in the Test, he became the first visiting batter since New Zealand’s Martin Crowe in 1987 to score 75-plus in each innings at the iconic MCG.
The youngster also continued his golden run in 2024, finishing the year as the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 1478 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.74. His tally included three centuries and nine fifties. Only England’s Joe Root, who amassed 1556 runs at 55.57 from 17 Tests, scored more in the year.
For India, Jaiswal outshone all others, with Shubman Gill a distant second at 866 runs. The 23-year-old came tantalizingly close to breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s Indian record for most Test runs in a calendar year (1562 in 2010), ultimately finishing third on the all-time list behind Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar (1555 in 1979).
Since making his debut in July 2023, Jaiswal has emerged as a dependable opener for India. In just 18 Tests, he has amassed 1766 runs at a stellar average of 55.18, with four hundreds and ten fifties.
Two double centuries in the year
Jaiswal’s resilience and consistency have stood out. His 161 in Perth earlier in the series helped India to a dominant victory, showcasing his ability to bounce back after a rare duck in the first innings.
His two other centuries in the year were double centuries against England at home – a 209 in Visakhapatnam and 214 not out in Rajkot, showing his penchant for big scores once set.
Jaiswal’s remarkable journey from a budding talent to a cornerstone of India’s Test batting lineup underscores his potential to dominate world cricket for years to come. With his 23rd birthday just two days ago, on December 28, during the Melbourne Test, the sky is the limit for this rising star as he continues to rewrite records and set new benchmarks for Indian cricket.
