Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Yashasvi Jaiswal reveals Mitchell Starc rivalry after special Perth century

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brilliant knock, which announced the Indian young gun as an international star, has been hailed as one of the most special in Perth. Jaiswal reached 161 on day three after resuming on 90 and made a century on the same day as Virat Kohli, the man he is anointed to replace. Kohli’s century is an ominous return to form so early in the crucial series, but Jaiswal now looms as India’s main man in these contests across the next decade. Jaiswal grinned as he was asked about comparisons between himself, Kohli and Sachin Tendalkur after play on Sunday. “I think (Virat) has been doing it for a long, long time so he is just incredible,” he said. “I was enjoying his batting and the way he was batting, so we were so happy. He played amazingly.” The 22-year-old’s battle with Mitchell Starc, particularly on Saturday, was his most enthralling. Jaiswal told Starc his balls were “coming too slow for me” and while he wouldn’t be drawn on that comment, he said the arm-wrestle made his century extra special. “It’s always amazing to play such a great bowler and playing against them in their country, it is always special to score a hundred against one of the best in the world — I really enjoyed it,” he said. “When I was a small kid, I was seeing Starc bowling, so I wanted to go and face it … I really enjoyed it, the way he bowled.” One of Test cricket’s all-time great openers, Matthew Hayden, lauded Jaiswal’s innings for defying difficult conditions and setting up what looms as a famous Indian victory. “He has done something very special, a maiden first-class Test 100 in these conditions, a record-breaking partnership of all time against Australia in Australia with KL Rahul, that is just superb,” Hayden told Channel 7 and 7plus. “He set up the match and has taken it to the next level.” Jaiswal’s remarkable stroke to bring up the milestone, a flick off Josh Hazlewood that pitched on the fine-leg boundary rope, was born out of fearlessness, he revealed. “I was just playing normally, how I prepared,” he said. “I always trust me and I always believe in me that whatever is going to come I am going to enjoy and be fearless. “I will go and make brave decisions, always this is my mindset and I feel like what is required for my team, I will try and do that.”