Tendulkar hails "fearless" Jaiswal, "organised" KL Rahul for fine opening performances in England

New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): Following India's series draw against England away from home, Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar hailed the opening duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul for "laying the foundation" for big scores consistently throughout the series.
Jaiswal continued his fine run in overseas conditions, making it two big tours to Australia and England while KL had his most consistent and fulfilling series as a batter, stepping into the role of a senior wiseman for the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin. Their contrasting approaches with the bat paid off handsomely, as Team India kickstarted the 'Shubman Gill era' with a well-fought 2-2 draw.
Speaking in a video posted on his official Reddit account, Sachin said about the duo, "The way both openers batted, they have laid a solid foundation all the series. KL did 500-plus runs, Jaiswal also scored close to 500 runs. This had not happened for a long time. This foundation is critical, we have been able to do it successfully."
Sachin lauded Jaiswal for his mindset, knowing exactly when to play aggressively or tone things down. The maestro also lauded his first Test ton at Leeds on a difficult pitch where the ball did some movement. He also said that the southpaw's ton at the final Test at The Oval had "character, maturity and determination".
"Jaiswal impressed me because of his mindset. He is fearless, knows how to accelerate, when to be at the non-strikers' end, and when to play a phase out carefully. You cannot bat in a single gear. You need to use different gears. This is what he did right from the first Test. He did look uncomfortable at times in the first Test, but eventually it boils down to the right column of the scorecard, and he scored a 100. For me, it was important. The first innings of the first match in a five-Test series is very critical. He scored a century on a difficult track where the ball it seemed would move and trouble the batters. But the ball did not move as much," he said.
Later, Sachin also pointed out how well the southpaw guided the nightwatchman Akash Deep during their century stand, with Akash contributing a valuable fifty at The Oval.
"When you form a foundation, other batters can construct on it. This is also what he did in the second Test with his knock of 87. He must have been gutted on his dismissal, because it was looking to be a long innings, and there was a lapse of concentration. That is how he is, that is how his shots should keep going. You cannot play all the shots right. In the last Test, when he scored a century, a magnificent one on a difficult track to bat on. He showed character, maturity and determination. The way he guided Akash Deep, motivated him to score, it was a treat to watch," he added.
In five matches, Jaiswal scored 411 runs at an average of 41.10, with two centuries and two fifties. His best score was 118 and was the ninth-highest run-getter in the series.
Speaking on KL, Sachin lauded the opener for his solid defence and ability to leave the balls well.
"I thought KL scored superbly, one of the best I have seen him bat. His defence, close to the body and the way he was leaving, he looked so organised and in control. I saw he was frustrating the bowlers, because he was not playing, and they would wonder where they could bowl him. When the ball was in striking range, he played some magnificent shots. The way he batted in the series, I enjoyed that, he looked in that zone. His footwork was precise, organised," he added.
During the series, KL ended as the third-highest run-getter, with 532 runs in 10 innings at an average of 53.20, with two centuries and two fifties and a best score of 137. This was also his best-ever Test series with the bat as he got to cross the 400-run mark for the first time ever.(ANI)