Jaiswal’s hundred lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium as India took control on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies. The young opener reached his seventh Test century in 145 balls, continuing his remarkable run in red-ball cricket. Resuming after lunch, Jaiswal started the second session on a positive note, smashing Jayden Seales for three crisp boundaries in the very first over. His timing and composure stood out once again as he combined patience with confident stroke play. This century also carried special significance in the context of cricketing history. It was Jaiswal’s seventh Test hundred before turning 24, a feat only three players have bettered — Don Bradman (12), Sachin Tendulkar (11), and Garfield Sobers (9). He now stands alongside legends like Javed Miandad, Graeme Smith, Alastair Cook, and Kane Williamson, who also had seven centuries each at that age. Since Jaiswal’s Test debut, India’s opening department has been heavily shaped by his consistency. In this period, Jaiswal alone has scored seven hundreds, while all other India openers combined have managed six. Among all teams worldwide, the next most prolific opener in the same time span is England’s Ben Duckett with four centuries. The 23-year-old also reached another milestone earlier in the innings, completing 3,000 international runs in just 50 matches, becoming only the fourth Indian left-handed opener to achieve the landmark after Sourav Ganguly, Gautam Gambhir, and Shikhar Dhawan. Alongside him, Sai Sudharsan looked solid at the crease, unbeaten on 57 at the time of writing. The duo added a century stand that kept India in control after KL Rahul’s early dismissal for 32. Earlier in the day, Shubman Gill, leading India for the first time, won his maiden toss as captain and elected to bat. Jaiswal and Rahul gave India a steady start before the young southpaw took charge of the innings. Despite recent selection disappointments in the T20 team, Jaiswal’s hundred in Delhi is another powerful reminder of his temperament and maturity. As he raised his bat to acknowledge the applause, the stadium stood to celebrate a player who continues to grow into one of India’s brightest young stars.
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