new delhi: Young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal on Monday termed his maiden tour of Australia a learning experience and vowed to come back stronger after India went down 1-3 to Australia, surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The 23-year-old left-handed batter was one of India’s standout performers, amassing 391 runs at an average of 43.44, the second-highest in the series. His contributions included a stellar 161 in the Perth Test, which India won by 295 runs.
Jaiswal also scored two fifties, but India failed to retain the trophy for the first time in a decade, after losing the fifth and final Test by six wickets at Sydney on Sunday.
“I learnt a lot in Australia… Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what we had hoped for, but we’ll be back stronger. Your support means everything,” Jaiswal wrote on his Instagram page.
The defeat also dashed India’s hopes of securing a spot in the World Test Championship final, with Australia now set to face South Africa.
India’s loss has left fans and experts disappointed, but legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar backed young talents like Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy, emphasising the need for hungry players who treat their wicket with utmost importance. “They are hungry to earn a name for India and themselves. Such players are needed. You need such players who will protect their wicket like their life,” he had said.
No Bumrah, no worries
Sydney: Australian batters Usman Khawaja and Travis Head have conceded that the incomparable Jasprit Bumrah’s absence on the third day of the series-deciding fifth Test played a big role in their team’s victory against India on the bowler-friendly SCG deck.
Such was Bumrah’s impact on the series that the Australians heaved a sigh of relief when they realised that the injured pacer would not be taking the field. Khawaja was one of the worst sufferers through the long series.
“I was just getting Bumrah’d. It was tough work. I have to face this guy with the new ball every single time. You never want to see anyone injured and it’s a shame he was but thank God for us. Today would’ve been an absolute nightmare facing him on that wicket. As soon as we didn’t see him out there we thought ‘alright, we’ve got a chance here’,” Khawaja said.
The 38-year-old Khawaja, who has scored over 5,500 runs in Test cricket, said that Bumrah just did not give him any opportunity to score runs off him.
“He’s the toughest bowler I’ve ever faced. And I have faced him in 2018. He got me out once, he was alright, he was good but he has been something else this year. He has got his tail up,” Khawaja said.
Bumrah, who took 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 and was named the Player of the Series, dismissed the batter six times. Khawaja’s views were seconded by the swashbuckling left-handed batter Travis Head during a chat with the broadcasters.
“I think there were 15 people really pleased that Bumrah didn’t bowl. He’s a great performer, he had an exceptional tour,” Head said.