Viral: Virat Kohli's Memorable Encounter with Brian Lara Before 500th Match

In the first Test against West Indies, Ravichandran Ashwin displayed his brilliance by taking an impressive 12 wickets. 

Legendary South African batter, AB de Villiers, had nothing but praises for Yashasvi Jaiswal, the young Indian left-handed batter who made a stunning century on his international debut against West Indies in the same Test match. De Villiers referred to him as a “hot prospect for India’s future.” 

In that extraordinary innings, Jaiswal scored a remarkable 171, forming a crucial match-winning partnership with senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, leading India to an innings victory over West Indies in Dominica. 

Talking about Jaiswal, de Villiers expressed his admiration for the young talent. According to de Villiers, it’s not every day that a youngster plays their first Test and manages to score a century right away. The South African star first noticed Jaiswal’s exceptional skills during the Indian Premier League (IPL), and he immediately recognized there was something special about him. 

De Villiers pointed out that Jaiswal’s ability to face the ball with ample time, combined with his tall left-handed stance, makes him unfazed by the pace of the game. The youngster’s decision-making abilities and skill against both pace and spin further impressed de Villiers, who considers him a highly talented prospect for India’s future. 

He expressed his delight in witnessing Jaiswal’s century in that memorable match. These compliments were shared by de Villiers on his YouTube channel. Yashasvi Jaiswal achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the third Indian player to score 150 or more on his Test debut. 

At the top of the list stands Shikhar Dhawan, who holds the record with his exceptional knock of 187 runs against Australia in Mohali back in 2013. Following closely in the second position is India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, who scored an impressive 177 runs against West Indies in Kolkata during the 2013 series. 

Jaiswal had a fantastic year in white-ball cricket, particularly in the 2023 IPL, where he amassed 625 runs with an impressive average of 48 and a striking strike rate of 163.61. During the season, he also achieved one century and five half-centuries. 

In first-class cricket, the left-hander has been equally outstanding, scoring a total of 2,016 runs in 16 matches, maintaining an exceptional average of 84.00. His performance includes an impressive tally of 10 centuries and two half-centuries. 

AB de Villiers had high praise for Ravichandran Ashwin’s exceptional performance in the first Test, where he took an impressive 12 wickets, including 7/71 in the second innings. De Villiers expressed his admiration for Ashwin’s consistent brilliance, which spans beyond just one or two seasons. Having faced him on numerous occasions, de Villiers was always surprised and impressed by Ashwin’s ability to evolve his game and create discomfort for both left and right-handed batters. 

This level of skill and adaptability has led some to consider him the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), although de Villiers suggested that a few more wickets could cement this title. Regardless, he hailed Ashwin as an incredible bowler and a true match-winner for India. With India currently leading the two-match Test series 1-0, the second Test is set to take place at Port of Spain.