IND vs ENG, 1st Test: No regrets for Yashasvi Jaiswal as he missed a hundred as India look to play positive cricket

Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for 80 on day 2 of the first Test against England.

Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates after scoring fifty against England. (Image: BCCI)

Hyderabad: Yashasvi Jaiswal may have missed a well-deserved hundred against England on Day 2 of the ongoing first Test match on Friday, but the youngster has no regrets as India aim to play positive cricket. In reply to England's first innings total of 246, India were 421/7 when stumps were drawn on the second day. Ravindra Jadeja (81 not out) and Axar Patel (35) not out are at the crease. The hosts are ahead by 175 runs in the first innings.

After starting the day with an unbeaten 76, Jaiswal could only add four runs on Friday before the left-hander struck straight through bowler Joe Root to give England an early breakthrough. Then India lost Shubman Gill before KL Rahul (81) and Shreyas Iyer took the lead (35). KS Bharat also contributed with a knock of 41. At this point, Jadeja and Patel have added 63 runs for the unbroken eighth wicket.

“We always tried to play positive cricket. I'm also trying the same. I want to stay positive and play good shots. I felt that the more runs we accumulate, the better for our team. We aim to take a good lead in the match,” Jaiswal said at the press conference on Friday.

The southpaw admitted it would have been nice to get a hundred but was not a penitent. “Yes, it would have been great if I had scored a hundred, but I think what got me here was my process and mindset,” Jaiswal said, referring to a desire to follow his natural game.

That path may be fraught with danger, but Jaiswal is ready to tread it. “I tried to do my best and sometimes it (playing aggressive cricket) can work well, sometimes it doesn't. I can make a mistake and get out of it, but I try to make sure I learn from my mistakes,” he noted.

Batting has a tough time on this court at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. After the English batsmen, except captain Ben Stokes, failed to perform, the Indians too admitted that playing on this wicket is a bit difficult. “The wicket is turning quite well at the moment. There is some help for the spinners. I thought about making a good contribution to the team,” he added.

With three wickets at hand, the Indians will look to prolong the game as long as possible and extend their lead. Anything around 200 would be difficult for England to chase this wicket against the likes of Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Patel.