"Yashasvi Jaiswal could've played James Anderson.."- Harsha Bhogle criticises Indian batsman despite double century

Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle praised Yashasvi Jaiswal for his exceptional double hundred in the ongoing second Test match against England. Harsha Bhogle pointed out that the next-best score on the batting-friendly track in Visakhapatnam was only 34.

The home team resumed the second day at a total of 336/6, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravichandran Ashwin at the crease. However, the hosts lost Ashwin early in the first session on the second day, as veteran pacer James Anderson dismissed him for 20 runs.

Jaiswal maintained his rhythm and secured a sensational double hundred on Saturday, February 3. He smashed Shoaib Bashir for a six, followed by a four, to achieve his maiden Test double hundred. He leaped in the air in sheer delight after reaching this milestone.

His phenomenal knock ended at 209 when he attempted to hit James Anderson over the covers. Unfortunately, he couldn’t connect well, and Jonny Bairstow secured a simple catch. He received applause for his outstanding knock as he walked back to the pavilion.

Yashasvi Jaiswal Could Have Been Played Him Out – Harsha Bhogle

Harsha Bhogle took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express that Yashasvi Jaiswal could have played James Anderson cautiously and targeted the spinners. Bhogle mentioned that it was likely to be Anderson’s last over of that spell in the first session.

“It was probably going to be Anderson’s last over. Maybe Jaiswal could have played him out and attacked the spinners. But what an innings. On a dream batting surface, the next best is 34. Without Jaiswal, it might have been very very tricky,” Bhogle stated.

James Anderson bowled one more over after dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal. The 41-year-old bowled an 8-over spell today and managed to pick up two wickets. He ended with 3 wickets for 47 runs in his 25 overs at an impressive economy rate of 1.90 on a batting track.

Several Indian batters got off to decent starts, but none reached a half-century. Shubman Gill was the second-highest scorer for India in the first innings. Rajat Patidar (32 runs), Shreyas Iyer (27), Axar Patel (27), and Ravichandran Ashwin (20) contributed with the bat.

India fell just short of the 400-run mark, posting 396 runs on the board. England managed to score 32 runs in 6 overs before the lunch break, making a steady start to their innings in response. The game hangs in balance as both teams aim to assert dominance.

James Anderson led England’s bowling attack in the ongoing red-ball match. Rehan Ahmed and debutant Shoaib Bashir each claimed three wickets. Tom Hartley contributed by taking one wicket. Joe Root failed to pick up any wickets in his 14 overs in India’s first innings.

The Ben Stokes-led side leads the five-match Test series 1-0 after securing a 28-run victory in the opening Test in Hyderabad. Vice-captain Ollie Pope’s impressive 196 and left-arm spinner Tom Hartley’s 7-wicket haul were pivotal in the tourists’ triumph in the series opener.

Also read: Yashasvi Jaiswal becomes the 3rd youngest Indian batsman to score a double century in Tests, joins Sunil Gavaskar and Vinod Kambli