How did Jaiswal feel after his first ODI century?
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Key Takeaways
Visakhapatnam, Dec 6 (NationPress) Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal expressed his relief after achieving his first ODI century, which played a crucial role in leading India to a nine-wicket victory over South Africa during the third and final ODI, securing a 2-1 series win in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Jaiswal's remarkable innings included an unbeaten 116 off 121 balls, featuring 12 fours and two sixes. He was well supported by Rohit Sharma, who scored 75 runs off 73 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes, and Virat Kohli, who contributed 65 runs off 45 balls with 6 fours and 3 sixes, as India swiftly reached 271/1 in 39.5 overs. The bowlers, led by Kuldeep Yadav (4-41) and Prasidh Krishna (4-65), had earlier restricted South Africa to a modest total of 270.
With this accomplishment, Jaiswal became the sixth Indian player to achieve centuries in all three formats of the game, making him the youngest at just 23 years old.
He was named Player of the Match for his exceptional performance, mentioning that conversations with Rohit and Virat boosted his confidence. “I felt immense joy scoring my hundred and I’m thankful for the opportunity. Rohit and I discussed our playing styles and the necessary tempo. My focus was on balancing the innings. I need to be more aggressive at times and other times, just take singles and consolidate. Controlling my thoughts about where to play my shots is crucial,” Jaiswal stated during the post-match presentation.
He added that batting with Kohli was a unique experience, as he played aggressively, helping Jaiswal set targets. Jaiswal had scored 18 runs off 16 balls in the first ODI and 22 runs off 38 balls in the second ODI. On this occasion, he moderated his aggression at the start, reaching 50 runs off 75 balls, before accelerating to complete his second fifty in just 36 balls. He faced pressure in this match due to a dropped catch in the previous ODI.