With the new ball in hand, Australian fast bowler and ‘smiling assassin’ Mitchell Starc created magic whenever he faced India’s young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In the opening Test in Perth, Starc, with his tezz pace, dismissed Yashasvi for a zero, marking the latter’s tough introduction to Test cricket in Australia. But Yashasvi fought back in the second innings, scoring a zabardast century and helping India win by 295 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
In the day-night Test in Adelaide, Yashasvi had another tough time. On the very first ball of the match, Starc bowled an in-swinger that trapped Yashasvi, leaving him visibly upset. Yashasvi’s bad luck continued when Starc took his wicket for the third time in the series. Trying to flick the ball, he gave an easy catch to Mitchell Marsh at short midwicket. Starc celebrated with his famous tongue-out send-off and a sly smile.
Yashasvi’s struggles against left-arm pace became a topic of charcha, with Starc dominating him.
But Yashasvi was not one to give up easily.
Determined to improve, he returned to the dressing room, analysed his dismissals with video analysts, coaches, and the captain. He made up his mind to tackle Starc and prove himself in the fourth Test in Melbourne.
Yashasvi’s childhood coach, Jwala Singh, shared how the 23-year-old turned his difficulties into success.
“Yashasvi was upset when he got out to Starc again and again. He watched his videos, studied them carefully, and prepared accordingly,” Jwala told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
“Whenever challenges come, Yashasvi sochta hai, plans karta hai, and uses video analysis. He closely observes the bowlers’ tactics and then applies his strategies on the field. That is his style, and that’s how he performed at the MCG,” Jwala added.
In the fourth Test, Yashasvi showed zabardast patience and skill against Starc, despite constant sledging from Sam Konstas at silly point.
Focused on his game, Yashasvi played two strong knocks, scoring 82 in the first innings and 84 in the second.
Jwala Singh believes this Australian tour will make Yashasvi a better player.
“Tours like Australia or England make you a mature cricketer. If you perform well here, like Yashasvi did, you can manage in any conditions across the globe. The confidence you gain in these situations is unmatched,” Jwala explained.
“The crowd, the booing, the chants, the pitches, and facing world-class bowlers — all these challenges automatically make you a more mature player,” he added.
