IND vs SL: Team India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal referenced Rohit Sharma via an Instagram post as he uploaded three pictures of him fielding in nets ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium on August 15, Saturday. Jaiswal, one of the exciting young players in modern-day cricket, will feature in his first Test in Sri Lanka after making his maiden appearance in the format in 2023 against the West Indies.
IND vs SL: How did Yashasvi Jaiswal reference Rohit Sharma via his Instagram post?
The left-handed posted three pictures of him catching the ball in the nets with helmet on and wrote, “jab tak khelega nahi, tab tak uthneka nahi (Until the batter plays, do not get up). The line was famously said by Rohit during the MCG Test in late 2024 against Australia when Jaiswal was fielding at silly point. The 24-year-old had a forgettable day on the field and a dropped chance at silly point that provoked Rohit to drop the line.
IND vs SL: Can Yashasvi Jaiswal ace the Sri Lankan challenge?
Meanwhile, Jaiswal is one of the many Indian cricketers in the squad who are yet to play in Sri Lanka. Out of the visiting squad, only KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja have played red-ball cricket in the Island nation; hence, their inputs will carry massive weightage. The Mumbai cricketer’s explosive way of playing at the top will be tested on the spin-friendly surfaces in Sri Lanka but a good start by him can go a long way in getting the tourists ahead in the contest. Despite the inexperience in the squad, India will take confidence from knowing Sri Lanka haven’t beaten them in a Test series since 2008 – home or away.
Jaiswal has good numbers in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, aggregating 713 runs in nine matches, averaging a healthy 66.94 with three centuries and as many fifties. But India are in a tricky spot in the 2025-27 WTC standings, sitting on 5th with four wins and as many defeats from nine matches. As it stands, they must win at least seven out of the remaining nine Tests to have a shot at playing the WTC final next year at The Oval.
Apart from Sri Lanka, Shubman Gill and co. have Tests against New Zealand and Australia in this cycle.
