Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is on the brink of rewriting history as he stands just 97 runs away from becoming the fastest Indian to reach 2,000 Test runs. The young left-hander could break Sunil Gavaskar’s 49-year-old record when India face England in the second Test at Edgbaston starting July 2. Jaiswal’s consistency has been a huge positive for India during a tricky transition phase in the longest format. He recently showcased his class with a brilliant century in the first Test at Headingley, though his effort could not prevent India from slipping to a five-wicket defeat. Despite setting England a daunting 371-run target, India were stunned by Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Joe Root’s calm chase, giving England a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Jaiswal’s personal form, however, remains one of India’s biggest hopes as they aim to bounce back at Edgbaston. In just 20 Tests so far, he has scored 1,903 runs at an impressive average of 52.86.
The current record for the fastest Indian to 2,000 Test runs belongs to batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, who reached the milestone in his 23rd Test back in 1976. Gavaskar went on to become the first cricketer ever to score 10,000 Test runs. Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag are next on the elite list, having crossed 2,000 runs in their 25th Tests.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? With his elegant strokeplay and remarkable temperament, Jaiswal now has the chance to join and surpass these greats and hand India a much-needed boost in a must-win Test.
