As India kickstarts the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy tomorrow at Perth’s Optus Stadium, young opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal is gearing up for his biggest assignment till yet. Jaiswal, who made his Test debut last year in West Indies, has made a strong impressing in his career so far. In 14 Tests, Jaiswal has scored 1,407 runs with the help of eight half-centuries and three tons. He is also India’s leading run-scorer in Tests this year, having amassed 1,119 runs so far.

Jaiswal will look to break multiple records in Australia. He needs two sixes to leapfrog Brendon McCullum in the list of most sixes in a calendar year in Test cricket.

McCullum smashed 33 sixes in 2014 while Jaiswal has registered 32 already this year. Also, he needs just 219 runs to become the leading run scorer in Tests this year.

Currently, England’s Joe Root tops the scoring charts in  2024, having scored 1,338 runs.

Ahead of the 1st Test, Jaiswal spoke about his admiration for star India batter Virat Kohli, how he has been in touch with him since he started playing for India and how he finds motivation from the 36-year-old veteran’s consistency and discipline on and off the field.

Speaking in a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jaiswal said, “When I started playing like senior cricket, I did speak to Virat Paji that how he managed himself. Paji has said to me that if I want to play all that cricket, then I have to be disciplined in my daily routines and follow the process. So I have seen him doing the stuff consistently day by day. Actually seeing him, it motivates me a lot to put in the work and do something and make a difference in my habits, which is really important for me. I feel like I will be better day by day.”

Speaking about his debut trip to Australia, Jaiswal said that though things are different here, he really looks forward to playing and facing those different conditions head on.

“It is my first trip to Australia. I am very excited to play here. I want to play well and do well. It is different here. The ball is different, the wicket is different. But I think we know that. I think we are ready mentally,” he said.

“I really want to be in. I want to go in. I want to see it. I want to be there. Because people, a lot of time they talk about stuff. This happened, that happened. But I want to go and face it and I want to enjoy that moment with a smile. That is all I think about.

(With ANI Inputs)