Yashasvi Jaiswal: Team India opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal revealed that Rohit Sharma urged him to keep playing and bat long in the second innings of the fifth Test against England at The Oval. The youngster scored a crucial 118 runs off 164 deliveries to help the visitors post 396 in the second innings, and push their case in levelling the series 2-2.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Rohit Sharma certainly knows a thing or two about second-innings hundreds at The Oval, as it was his sublime 127 that helped India negate the 99-run deficit and script a historic 157-run win during the 2021-22 tour. The former Indian skipper graced his presence at the iconic venue to watch the proceedings on Day 3 of the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar trophy series finale.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Jaiswal shares a close bond with The Hitman, having consistently opened with him in Test cricket since his debut in 2023, until the veteran batter’s recent retirement from the format ahead of the England tour.
“I of course saw Rohit bhai and said Hi, and he also gave me the message ki ‘Khelte Rehna’ (Keep playing)” Jaiswal said during the press conference after Stumps on Day 3 (via Times of India).
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Jaiswal further elaborated how playing with senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has helped his game, especially when it comes to tackling different conditions in a challenging situation like a five-match Test series.
“I keep getting all these messages and playing with the seniors as long as I have played with Rohit bhai, Virat bhai, so playing with them has helped me a lot to grow as a person, and seeing them what they have done in Test cricket. How they prepared themselves, so I really think it helped me, especially, to improve as a player. Also, playing with all my mates now, like with KL bhai, the way we chat and what we think about the game, and how we think about the game,” he added.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: The new-look batting unit in the absence of the senior figures have certainly made a strong statement. Having completed all of their innings in the series with the bat, Team India ended with three batters who scored in excess of 500 runs, while the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant were also not far away from the benchmark.
“It is not that easy to bat” – India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal on The Oval pitch after Day 3 of ENG vs IND 2025 5th Test
Not many knew what to expect from Day 3 of the fifth Test after witnessing 21 wickets fall across the first set of days on the green top. However, the pitch had eased up a touch, while the cloud cover also relented for a large part of the day.
Team India made the most of the optimal conditions, but Jaiswal warned that it is still not an easy pitch to play on, largely due to the erratic bounce and seam movement on offer.
“I think the ball is bouncing quite a bit, so chances were there that I could play my shots in that region (behind square). If we bowl in the channel, it will be amazing because there is movement in the wicket, swing and seam, it is not that easy to bat,” Jaiswal said.
The Men in Blue ended Day 3 on a high after Mohammed Siraj castled Zak Crawley with a yorker. England were placed at 50-1, and need 324 more runs to clinch the series, while India need nine more wickets to level the five-match affair.
