Delhi Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal hits century in 145 balls against West Indies

India's young left-handed opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, continued his phenomenal run in the longest format of the game by smashing his seventh Test century on Day 1 of the second Test against the West Indies in Delhi. The aggressive but composed knock not only put India in a commanding position in the series-decider but also saw the 23-year-old break and equal a string of significant records, further cementing his status as India's next batting troubleshooter.

The century, which was his second against the West Indies, was brought up with composure in the second session, following a cautious start where he was outscored by his opening partner, KL Rahul. Jaiswal shifted gears after lunch, accelerating his scoring rate and showcasing his ability to adapt his 'Jas-ball' style to the demands of Test cricket.

One of the most notable records Jaiswal achieved was becoming the joint-record holder with former South African captain Graeme Smith for the most Test centuries (7) scored by an opening batter before the age of 24. Jaiswal, who turns 24 in December, still has an opportunity to break this unique record outright in the upcoming series against South Africa. This feat places him alongside elite international names like Alastair Cook, Javed Miandad, and Kane Williamson, who also had seven centuries before turning 24, though Jaiswal and Smith achieved all of theirs while opening the innings.

Furthermore, Jaiswal achieved a significant national milestone by crossing the 3,000 international runs mark across all three formats. He did so in just 71 innings, making him the second-fastest Indian batter to reach this milestone, surpassing legends like Sourav Ganguly (74 innings), Shubman Gill (77 innings), Rahul Dravid (78 innings), and Virat Kohli (80 innings). Only Sunil Gavaskar, who took 69 innings, reached the mark quicker.