Yashasvi Jaiswal scripts history with twin 80-plus score at MCG
What's the story
Albeit in a losing cause, Yashasvi Jaiswal played a spirited knock for India in the final day of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The southpaw scored a brilliant 84 as this was his second 80-plus score of the match.
Notably, his knock had kept India's hopes alive of chasing down a challenging 340-run target.
Here are his stats.
Early blows
Jaiswal rescued India after early blows
India suffered major blows in the morning session with Australia's Pat Cummins sending Rohit Sharma (9) and KL Rahul (0) back in quick succession.
Mitchell Starc added to India's woes by sending Virat Kohli (5) back to the pavilion just before lunch, leaving India in a precarious position at 33/3.
Jaiswal was then joined by Rishabh Pant as the duo steadied the ship with their 88-run partnership.
Partnership
The partnership kept India's hopes alive
Both Jaiswal and Pant showcased tremendous resolve and maturity during their partnership.
Despite Starc's efforts to rattle Jaiswal with unorthodox tactics, the young opener stood unfazed and brought up his half-century.
Meanwhile, Pant's dismissal for 29 opened the gates for the Aussies as India went from 121/3 to 155/10.
The defeat in the fourth Test meant India are now trailing 1-2 in five-match series with one game to go.
Stats
Twin fifties for Jaiswal
Jaiswal backed his 118-ball 82 in the first innings with an 84 off 208 balls.
The southpaw has now completed 10 half-centuries in Test cricket. He also has four tons to his name.
In 16 Tests, the left-handed batter has racked up 1,766 runs at an incredible average of 55.18, as per ESPNcricinfo.
With 359 runs at 51.29, he is the second-highest run-getter in BGT 2024-25.
Feats
Do you know?
Jaiswal accomplished a feat which no other batter has been able to achieve in this century.
The last visiting batter before Jaiswal to score 75+ in each innings of a Test at MCG was New Zealand legend Martin Crowe (82 & 79 in 1987).
Meanwhile, Jaiswal finished the year 2024 with 1,478 Test runs at 54.74
Only Sachin Tendulkar (1,562 in 2010) and Sunil Gavaskar (1,555 in 1979) have managed Test more runs in a calendar year among Indian players.
Summary
How did the game pan out?
Each of Australia's top-four batters slammed 50-plus scores as the hosts posted 474/10 batting first.
Jasprit Bumrah claimed four wickets. In reply, India managed 369/10 as centurion Nitish Reddy saved them from a collapse.
Jaiswal (82) and Washington Sundar (50) also made vital contributions.
Having earned a solid 105-run lead, the Aussies were powered by Marnus Labuschagne (70) in the third innings as they finished at 234/10.
Bumrah took a fifer. Chasing 340, India fell short despite Jaiswal's 84.