Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has hailed Yashasvi Jaiswal for his sensational maiden Test century on Australian soil, suggesting that Virat Kohli, one of cricket’s modern greats, could benefit from observing the young opener’s back-foot dominance, especially during Australian conditions. Ahead of the start of the series, Australian media hailed the 22-year-old as “The New King”, adding to the weight of expectations.

Jaiswal was dismissed for an eight-ball duck in the first innings by Mitchell Starc, and made important adjustments in the second innings. He played with soft hands, let the ball come to him and challenged his natural aggression. These changes paid off as he smashed his maiden Test century in Australia, following in the footsteps of Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohinder Amarnath and Sunil Gavaskar, who had also reached three figures in Perth.

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“The square cut – he’s playing it a bit later, which might not be ideal, but the back foot is something to love now in both those shots that you see there guys well, the new king likes to be on the back foot, unlike the the reigning king who wants to be on the front foot, and as a result he got 64% of the runs behind square.And that’s something I think Virat Kohli just wants to look at because it’s an area where he doesn’t look to score at all,” Manjrekar said while speaking on Star Sports.

While Rahul fell for 77, Jaiswal held on and picked up his fourth test century in style-arching back to upper cut Josh Hazlewood for six, the ball lands right on the fine leg boundary pad. When the six was confirmed, Jaiswal celebrated with a salute to the crowd, a look to the sky and flying kisses to the spectators, relishing the moment of his maiden Test century on Australian soil.

Jaiswal’s 150-plus run knock was a masterclass in composure and adaptability, showcasing his ability to handle short deliveries with finesse. The Mumbai batsman’s partnership with KL Rahul set the tone for India’s dominance, with the pair amassing a record opening stand of 200 runs, surpassing the previous best of Sunil Gavaskar and Krishnamachari Srikkanth in 1986. While Rahul missed out on a century, his support was solid. allowed Jaiswal to shine.

Manjrekar dissected Jaiswal’s technique, noting his ability to stay in position early and execute late, accurate shots off the back foot. This trait, which is often crucial on the bouncy pitches of Australia, stands in stark contrast to Kohli’s predominantly front-foot game. “”It is also an indication of two things. One that he obviously has. Some white ball instincts, the T20 instincts, plus the guys who played that shot are in place very early. They have that extra second to think about. You know what? I might only hit this ball when I play the cut, which is a little later than most hitters do. What a great innings from Yashasvi,” Manjrekar added.

Jaiswal’s performance has drawn comparisons to legends like Sachin Tendulkar, who announced his arrival on the world stage with a blistering century in Perth 32 years ago. Like Tendulkar, Jaiswal’s innings has shown his potential to be the Indian batting torchbearer for the next decade.

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