“You are a legend, but you are old”: Yashasvi Jaiswal sends another Australia veteran after Mitchell Starc

Young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal won the battle of nerves against Australia’s experienced bowling quartet – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon – in the 1st Test in Perth. In his first attempt to play Test cricket in Australia, Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck in the first innings, raising doubts about his ability to play new balls on pace-friendly tracks. However, the youngster proved everyone wrong in the second innings as he scored 161 to lay the foundation for India’s big 295-run win.

The youngster also won the mental battle against Cummins and Co. in Perth. Australian spinner Lyon has revealed that it was not Starc but he too who was bowled by Jaiswal at the Optus Stadium.

Ahead of the 2nd Test in Adelaide, Lyon revealed that Jaiswal came up to him after he scored his century and called him old.

“Young Jaiswal, he said that you are a legend, but you old man, he said that to me when I was bowling. That’s what he said to me when he was playing around with muscle at 120, but yeah, it’s all fun. That’s what I told him,” Lyon told Sen Radio.

Notably, Jaiswal had also approached Starc on Day 2 and said, “You are too slow for me.” The interaction was captured on the stump microphone and went viral.

On the eve of the 2nd Test, India captain Rohit Sharma said that he would bat “somewhere in the middle order” in the day/night Test against Australia starting on Friday, allowing KL Rahul to continue at the opening spot.

Rahul looked solid with scores of 26 and 77 as he and centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal combined for an opening stand of 201 runs in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, which India won by 295 runs.

“KL will open the innings and I will play somewhere in the middle. It is not easy for me but it is best for the team,” Rohit told reporters on the eve of the second Test.

Rohit returns to the team after a short maternity break due to the birth of his son.

(With PTI inputs)