Legendary Australian cricketer and former captain Mark Waugh has picked 24-year-old Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal as the next great Test batsman. Since making his Test debut for the Indian team under Rohit Sharma’s leadership against the West Indies in Dominica on July 12, 2023, Jaiswal has played 28 matches so far, and in 53 innings, he has amassed a total of 2511 runs. The left-handed batter, who represents Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, has already slammed 7 centuries and 13 half-centuries in the five-day format of the game. He currently is India’s highest-ranked Test batter, and in his Test played on Australia, England and West Indies soil, he slammed a century to show his class.
During a discussion on the sidelines of the ongoing fifth Ashes
Test between Australia and England at Sydney Cricket Ground, when junior Waugh was asked to name the next great Test batter, he mentioned three names – Jaiswal, Harry Brook and Rachin Ravindra – but finally cast his vote in favour of the Indian batter.
According to Mark Waugh, who played 128 Tests for the Baggy Greens from 1991 to 2002 and scored 8029 runs, there is something special about Jaiswal.
“Well, I reckon there’s three in the running. There’s Jaiswal, and there’s (Harry) Brook and (Rachin) Ravindra from New Zealand. I’m going with Jaiswal,” Waugh said in a video shared by Kayo Sports on X.
“24 years of age, he’s (Jaiswal) already got a double hundred and averages just under 50. There’s something special about this kid, so I’ve got him down, Jaiswal, as the next champion batsman to join the elite group. Look at him. Brilliant player, so that’s my pick, the young Indian,” Waugh added.
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Former England Test captain Michael Vaughan was also part of the discussion, and when asked his opinion, he, like every other Englishman ever, picked a player from his country, and it was none other than Brook.
“I’ll throw Shubham Gill in there (with Jaiswal and Rachin) as well, but Harry Brook. Harry Brook. Harry Brook is the next one that we’re going to be talking about,” Vaughan said.
“We’re already talking about him on this trip with the way that he’s played. He hasn’t got the amount of runs that I would have expected, but over the course of the next 10 years, I think we’re going to see some of the most extraordinary innings from this young chap. He’s already played many in his career so far. White-ball cricket, red-ball cricket. He’s an all-format player, and he’s box office,” Vaughan added.
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