New Delhi, Oct 10 (UNI) At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where the afternoon sun often casts a golden hue on ambition, Yashasvi Jaiswal (111*) painted another masterpiece. His seventh Test century was not just a number on a scorecard — it was a reaffirmation of a young man’s poise, patience, and purpose. And beside him, B Sai Sudharsan (71*), elegant and unflustered, played the perfect second note in this symphony of serenity as India reached 220 for 1 at tea on Day 1.
From the very first session, Jaiswal batted like a craftsman who knew exactly where every brushstroke belonged. He began quietly, almost meditative in defence, before unfurling a flurry of boundaries that spoke of timing, not violence. When he brought up his fifty — three crisp fours in four balls off Jayden Seales — it was the sound of a man finding his rhythm.
Then came the crescendo. On 98, Khary Pierre drifted one on middle and leg, and Jaiswal, as if guided by instinct, rolled his wrists, gliding the ball to backward square leg. Two runs later, the helmet came off, the bat rose high, and the spectators responded with the roar of admiration reserved for the chosen few. His seventh century — and yet, it felt as fresh as his first.
There is something deeply poetic about how Jaiswal constructs an innings. Every drive through cover is a lesson in geometry, every cut a whisper of confidence. Against Anderson Phillip, he caressed the ball straight past the umpire — the kind of shot that makes bowlers close their eyes for a second longer in disbelief. Against the spinners, he was fleet-footed, precise, never hurried. A player maturing in public view, yet still batting like a man in love with the art itself.
And then there was Sai Sudharsan — graceful, unhurried, classical. The Tamil Nadu left-hander batted as if he belonged to this level all along. His fifty came with a flick of the wrists through midwicket, and his body language never once betrayed nerves. There was one anxious moment — a leading edge that Warrican couldn’t hold onto — but perhaps that too was part of destiny’s gentle reminder that fortune favours the brave.
Their partnership, worth 150 plus runs by tea, felt like a quiet declaration — that India’s next generation is not just ready, but radiant. The two left-handers, batting in perfect sync, turned every testing delivery into an opportunity. They rotated the strike with intelligence, punished the rare bad balls with conviction, and left the West Indies bowlers searching for inspiration where none was forthcoming.
KL Rahul’s earlier 38 had set the tone, but it was Jaiswal and Sudharsan who wrote the script — steady, fluent, and firm. By the time India reached 220 for 1 at tea, the Kotla fans knew they had witnessed more than just runs — they had seen composure dressed as command, and elegance disguised as dominance.
If Test cricket is theatre, then today, Jaiswal was the lead actor — and Sai Sudharsan, the silent strength in the wings. Together, they’ve built not just a partnership, but a promise — that Indian batting’s future is both fearless and refined.
