Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that Yashasvi Jaiswal is the new contender for the ‘God of offside’ title. The youngster reigned supreme in the first Test against England at Headingley, scoring 101 runs. It was his fifth Test century in his career and third against England in the longest format. Ever since his debut, Jaiswal has become an integral part of the Test squad and proved his worth with a century each in England, Australia and West Indies.
Meanwhile, in Headingley, Jaiswal heavily scored 91 runs on the off-side to become the new contender, as per Pathan, for the prestigious title. He managed seven singles on the leg side and a double. More than 90% of the runs were scored on the offside, and that heavily impressed Pathan. In the post-match show at Sony Sports, a fan enquired about the ‘God of offside’ title and that’s when Pathan voted in Jaiswal’s favour.
“If you see the wagon wheel, more than 80% of the runs were scored on the offside. After Ganguly, who was called the ‘God of offside’, if someone can dominate the region for the long term, it is Yashasvi Jaiswal. You can spot that in today’s innings as well,” Pathan said.
Who gave Sourav Ganguly the ‘God of offside title’?
Ganguly’s long-time teammate Rahul Dravid first called him the ‘God of offside’. The Bengal batter mastered the art and was known for his cover drives in the same region. For the same, Dravid once mentioned, ‘On the offside, first there is God, then Sourav Ganguly.’
On the other hand, Jaiswal and Shubman Gill’s century put India in the driver’s seat after Day 1 of the first Test. The newly-appointed captain, Gill, was under tremendous pressure leading to the match, having an average of only 14.66 in England. However, the 25-year-old proved his worth in Headingley and will be hoping to keep up with the momentum on Day 2 of the Test.
