Ajit Agarkar shut outside noise, showed faith in Yashasvi Jaiswal when everyone else turned a blind eye: 'They spoke...'

He is just 23, but the legend of Yashasvi Jaiswal continues to grow. First West Indies, then Australia, and now, England. The young bloke has a century against most of the top teams he has played. India's sole saving grace of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, much was expected of Jaiswal to fill the void left by legends Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma. And the manner in which he has started the tour of England, the little man is on his way towards greatness. In the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, Jaiswal pummelled his fifth Test century, third against this team, to drive India into a strong position. After opposition captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to field first – a call that will surely be debated – Jaiswal made the most of the opportunity, scoring a magnificent 101 in his first Test in England. Yashasvi Jaiswa has enjoyed a tremendous start to his Test career.(AP)
Also Read: India vs England 1st Test Day 1 As it happened
It's rather unreal to think that it was in August two years ago that Jaiswal made his Test debut for India. From becoming India's 17th batter to score a hundred on debut, Jaiswal has rapidly climbed through the ranks. So much so that less than 24 months later, he is being talked about as one of the next 'Fab Four' of world cricket. A lot of people deserve credit for Jaiswal's meteoric rise – none more than his father and coach, Jwala Singh. Behind the scenes, too, a lot of effort from the most unexpected folks goes unnoticed, and one such individual is Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI chairman of selectors, who recognised Jaiswal's potential when most turned a blind eye.
Also Read: Yashasvi Jaiswal requests captain Shubman Gill to stop him mid-innings, says 'Meri aadat hai josh mein aane ki'
"I must say… about two years back, when Jaiswal was getting all those runs in India, Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, said Jaiswal has something special when everybody was talking about the other batters. Today he hasn't let the chairman of selectors down," former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said during the tea break, when Jaiswal was 100 not out and had taken India to 215/2. What Yashasvi Jaiswal stands out
Jaiswal is being touted as a generational talent by many former cricketers. While Jaiswal was in his 90s, he remained focussed, very much within himself, even as he battled painful cramps. The celebration said a lot about what was going on inside Jaiswal's head. There's something about first Test matches in overseas conditions for him. He scored 161 at Perth, and here's another good hundred. In Australia, he was a standout performer, scoring over 300 runs, and although it's just the beginning, he seems to have taken batting in England like a fish to water.
A batter can survive without having a good defensive technique in Australia, but in places like England, South Africa and New Zealand, it's unimaginable. Jaiswal has the requisites to play off the new ball – Dukes or the Kookaburra ball. Besides, his knack of getting daddy hundreds. He has converted two of his five Test hundreds into double-centuries and has knocks of 171 and 161 to show for his marathon traits.
And to think that he is just 23 years old. Beware England, the new guard is here to take over.

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