Yashasvi Jaiswal Joins Elite Club: Fifth Indian to Score 600-Plus Runs in a Test Series

In a remarkable achievement, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has etched his name among the elite ranks of Indian cricket history by becoming only the fifth Indian to amass over 600 runs in a Test series. This milestone was reached during the second day’s play of the fourth Test against England in Ranchi.

The left-handed batsman, who made his debut for India last year during the West Indies tour, achieved this milestone in his seventh innings of the ongoing five-match Test series. Jaiswal reached the impressive mark of 600 runs with a single off Shoaib Bashir, remaining unbeaten at 55.

During the ongoing series against England, the 22-year-old Jaiswal has displayed a prolific run-scoring form, notably striking two double centuries in the second and third Tests.

Jaiswal now joins the esteemed company of Indian cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, and Dilip Sardesai in surpassing the 600-run mark in a Test series. Among these luminaries, former Indian captains Gavaskar, Kohli, and Dravid achieved this feat twice in their careers, while Sardesai accomplished it during the away series in the West Indies in 1970-71.

Notably, in the same 1970-71 series against the West Indies, Gavaskar set the record for the highest runs scored by any Indian batter in a Test series, amassing an extraordinary 774 runs at an average of 154.8, including four centuries and three half-centuries.

Gavaskar also holds the distinction of being the only Indian to have scored over 700 runs in a Test series on two occasions. In 1978-79, during the West Indies tour to India, he accumulated 732 runs in six Tests at a remarkable average of 91.5, featuring four centuries and a fifty.

While Jaiswal’s achievement is commendable, the world record for most runs in a Test series remains held by Australian batting maestro Donald Bradman, who amassed a staggering 974 runs in five Tests against England in 1930, at an astonishing average of 139.14, including four centuries.

Despite his notable contribution, Jaiswal departed for 73 runs in the final session on the second day, yet his remarkable performance continues to be a standout feature of the series.