Yashasvi Jaiswal scored an unbeaten 155 for India A against New Zealand A in the second unofficial Test, which ended in a draw
The young opener discussed the challenges of batting in New Zealand, highlighting the cold weather and early seam movement
Jaiswal stressed the importance of process, routine and discipline as India prepare for the two-Test series beginning November 19
Yashasvi Jaiswal's unbeaten 155 for India A against New Zealand A has given him valuable time in the middle ahead of India's upcoming Test assignment.
The left-hander struck a commanding hundred in the second unofficial Test, which ended in a draw on Tuesday, as he adjusted to the challenges of batting in unfamiliar conditions.
Having experienced a brief dip in form, Jaiswal believes the answer to returning to consistent performances lies in keeping things simple. Rather than making drastic changes, the youngster relies on his preparation and discipline to get the job done.
"It's not that easy...Just focus on process, routine, discipline. I think you have to be very disciplined here," he explained.
The 155 not out also offered an insight into how Jaiswal approaches different bowling conditions. He prefers to play the ball close to his body and make adjustments according to the pace of the bowler. During the first innings, he even altered his initial stance to counter the movement.
"Mainly, in my mind, the closer I play to the body, the better it is. Go to the ball and play. If you look at the first innings, my initial stance was behind. Then I changed again. If the bowler is not bowling fast, then you can manage the seam movement.
"If I get a loose ball, I will try to score runs. Rest is just an effort," he said.
The conditions in New Zealand, meanwhile, have demanded considerable patience from the Indian batter. Jaiswal noted that the ball tends to move considerably early in the innings, particularly with seam-friendly conditions and bowlers maintaining consistent lines and lengths.
"It's very cold here. The ball moves a lot initially and there is a lot of seam movement. And there are good bowlers hitting good areas consistently. So we have to wait a lot to make runs initially," he said.
According to Jaiswal, the scoring opportunities improve as the ball gets older and the pitch becomes more conducive to batting. However, he was careful not to suggest that the challenge disappears altogether.
"After that, when the wicket gets better or the ball gets old, it's easy to make runs. I won't say it's easy, but you can play good shots. So it was a lot of fun and it feels good to play here. It's a very different experience," he added.
He also highlighted how the weather makes New Zealand a distinct challenge compared to other overseas destinations, including Australia and England.
Describing the changing conditions during the past few days, Jaiswal said the weather had remained largely cloudy, with occasional spells of sunshine.
"New Zealand is a very different place (compared) to India, Australia, even England. Because it's very cold here. If you look at the air, the whole day it was cloudy. Then for some time, the sun came and left. It's been like this for the last four days," he said.
Jaiswal will now look to carry the confidence from his India A outing into the senior team's two-Test series against New Zealand, which begins on November 19.
