IND vs. ENG: Yashasvi Jaiswal might break Sunil Gavaskar’s all-time record in Dharamsala

The fifth and final Test of the series between India and England is scheduled to begin on March 7 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. With a 3-1 record going into the fourth Test, India had already secured the series owing to their five-wicket victory at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. The Indian team’s ability to overcome the odds and neutralize the “Bazball” menace will live on in the series for a very long time. The squad defeated the hosts 2-1, possibly the finest England side to travel India since 2012, despite having so many inexperienced players, many of whom were making their debuts.

But the player who has perhaps wowed everyone the most is Yashasvi Jaiswal, a 22-year-old opener. Jaiswal, who has played in only eight Tests, is already on the verge of reaching the 1000-run milestone in the format. With the bat, he is having a really amazing series, with two half-centuries and as many hundreds (both double hundreds).

Yashasvi Jaiswal has amassed 655 runs at an average of 93.57 in four Test matches. In addition to matching Virat Kohli’s record of 655 runs for the most runs in a Test series against England, he has already broken the record for the most runs in a series by a left-handed batter.

In Dharamsala, however, the dominant southpaw has the ability to surpass Sunil Gavaskar’s record. When Gavaskar played his first away Test series against the West Indies in 1970, he amassed 774 runs in four Tests (eight innings). The most runs an Indian batsman has ever scored in a Test series is what he scored in his first series. In 1978–79, Sunil Gavaskar made history by scoring the highest runs by a player in an Indian Test series with a massive 732 runs against the West Indies (again), but this time in India.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who needs only 110 runs to become the new record-holder for India, has the opportunity to surpass both of these records. He would also become the first Indian batter to amass more than 800 runs in a single Test series if he makes 135 runs against England in the last Test. That would be just plain ridiculous if it came to pass. However, it would be a strong indication that Jaiswal is a player throughout generations.