Three decades after a young Mumbai left-hander announced his arrival on the Test arena with consecutive double centuries, Yashasvi Jaiswal emulated Vinod Kambli’s feat and also became the third youngest after Kambli and Donald Bradman to slam two Test double-centuries. The 22-year-old explained his appetite to pile up daddy centuries to “catching buses, rickshaws and trains” in India.

Jaiswal, whose sensational knock powered the hosts to a colossal 434-run win — India’s biggest by runs, and England’s second-biggest defeat, left a statement for those who criticised the team (in transition) after the 28-run loss in the Hyderabad Test, besides giving the side a 2-1 lead in the five-match rubber.

At the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, the southpaw was retired hurt on 105, but came back to end up with scoring 214 not out, laced with 14 fours and a dozen sixes, and in the process he equalled the record for the most sixes in a Test innings and carried India to the record for most sixes in a Test.

Jaiswal, who rose through the ranks overcoming numerous obstacles, said he is used to putting in the hard yards since childhood, and wants to continue the same process to capitalise on the opportunity of playing at the highest level.

“In India, when you grow up, you work really hard for each and everything,” he said on his match-winning knock.

“Even when getting the bus you have to work really hard to get the bus. You have to work really hard to get to the train and auto rickshaw and everything and I have done that since my childhood and I know how important every innings is and that’s why I really work hard in my practice sessions and every innings counts for me and for my team that is my biggest motivation to play for my country and I just make sure that whenever I’m there I need to give my 100 per cent and then enjoy.”

Having made his Test debut against the West Indies in July 2023, it was the youngster’s sixth appearance in whites, and said that whenever he gets his eyes in, he tries to make it big.

“Test cricket is hard, but I thought that when I’m in there, I need to give my 100 per cent. I’m just trying. Whenever I’m set, I try to make it big. Because in Test cricket you never know, when you’re playing well you have to make it big,” he said.

Analysing his power-packed knock, the Mumbai lad said he just tried to play session by session and also had to overcome a back problem en-route the double century.

“It was pretty difficult for me because initially I wasn’t getting runs. So had to play the session, and get set. That’s when I felt I could score runs. After a while my back was not good. I didn’t want to go out (of the field) but since it was too much, I went out. Today when I came, I wanted to make sure that I take the game forward and bat till the end,” he said.

The southpaw said as an opener his job is to give the team a good start. “I felt there was something in the wicket and the ball was hard. For me, it is important for me to give teams a good start so it was important for me to play long,” Jaiswal said.

“I tell myself whenever I get set, I need to score well because you can get out anytime. My seniors have said to make it count.”

The first innings of the Rajkot Test saw Jaiswal dismissed early to Mark Wood for 10 runs. However, Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja’s centuries helped India to a strong total of 445. The effort from the senior men instilled in young Jaiswal with motivation to go big in the second innings.

“The way Rohit (Sharma) bhai and (Ravindra Jadeja) Jaddu bhai played, that motivated me a lot. Their passion determined me to play session by session. I thought inside the dugout that when I go out there I should also make it count,” Jaiswal said.

Jaiswal acknowledged head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour’s role in mentoring him through his nascent Test career and regularly visits seniors in the team for advice.

“As a cricketer, I always go with the emotion. Sometimes I do well and sometimes I don’t. The way they come and the way they talk about cricket and all other things, I think it’s been incredible and I’m really enjoying it.”

“The things that they have told me, how I can think about the game, how I can read the wicket, how I can take my game as deep as I can and with that also they give me all the freedom. ‘If you think that you can play that shot well, make sure you are committing to it and you’re playing it’. They know that I play the sweep and the reverse sweep and they say you play, but make sure the ball is there to play,” he said, while revealing his conversation.