"Yashasvi Jaiswal had a few things to say to Virat Kohli" - Former India batter on opener missing a ton in 4th BGT 2024-25 Test

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar reckons that Yashasvi Jaiswal could have got a hundred in the first innings of the Boxing Test against Australia in Melbourne had he not been run-out. Manjrekar opined that a three-figure score at the MCG would have meant much more to the youngster in comparison to his Perth ton given the conditions on offer.

Jaiswal scored a sublime 82 off 118 balls on Day 2 of the MCG Test on Friday, December 27. The left-hander struck 11 fours and a six before being run-out following a horrible mix-up with Virat Kohli. The left-hander clipped a delivery from Scott Boland towards mid-on and set off for a single, but his partner did not respond. As Jaiswal walked off, he exchanged a few words with Kohli.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar opined that Jaiswal was extremely disappointed with his dismissal because he knew that there was a hundred for the taking. The former India batter commented:

"Yashasvi Jaiswal, for a guy who is so young, had a few things to say to Virat Kohli. He was making a case there. That shows how much that innings was important to him. Out of habit, he would have got a hundred and that hundred would have been even more impressive than the one that Perth. Although that was a big one, the pitch in Perth had become a little Indian-like for two days."

Praising the 23-year-old left-handed batter, Manjrekar added that the youngster has not been troubled by any other Australian bowler barring Mitchell Starc.

"This was a typical Australian pitch (and a) quality attack. So, he really wanted that hundred. We saw that there are some great facets to Jaiswal's batting. When he got to 50, he had spent two hours at the crease. So, that game he has. And, barring Mitchell Starc, he looks really comfortable against all the other fast bowlers," the 59-year-old said.

Kohli (36) was dismissed just a few balls after Jaiswal's run-out. A lapse of concentration resulted in him getting caught behind off Boland. The Australian pacer also dismissed nightwatchman Akash Deep for a duck, having him caught at leg gully off a short delivery.

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Jaiswal is India's leading run-getter in BGT 2024-25

Even as India's batters have struggled for consistency and big runs in BGT 2024-25, Jaiswal has been among their better batters. He is the visitors' leading run-getter in the series and the second-leading overall.

In seven innings so far, he has notched up 275 runs at an average of 45.83, with one hundred and one fifty. Before his half-century in Melbourne, he had scored 161 in the second innings of the Perth Test.