The curious case of India opener's test series average drop in his career

India's flamboyant left-handed batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has had a blistering start to his cricketing career, so far. His explosive batting skills are second to none and justify his sheer prodigious talent. Such is the promise associated with him that he is widely seen as the nation's next big thing in cricket. His gaming prowess and flair are an intrinsic characteristic, and those that have fetched him immense returns as an opener, across formats and levels. For India to bat big, it's expected that Jaiswal hits a purple patch at the earliest in his innings and then prolongs himself at the crease. When that strikes, his bat does the talking and the ground turns into mayhem for the bowlers. His ability to convert starts into humongous scores, making him a class apart, illuminating and throwing great light on his rare talent. As an inference, it is imperative that the young Mumbai player has cemented his place for a long time in the Indian setup. 

However, Yashasvi's attacking instinct, lately, has often taken the vicious shape of a double-edged sword. It has been responsible for his impeccable tally of runs and contrarily for his demise as well. When run-scoring gets big, his batting feels timeless. Then, watching him go about his business is one of the most aesthetic sights in sports, and filled heavily with marvellous boundary shots of fours and sixes. Oppositely, on the other hand, when frequent slogging turns into an ugly mode of dismissal, it can look hideous and embarrassing for the batter. It is then recognised as being immature, irresponsible, and ignorant of the game situation. When the match ends in defeat, in hindsight, that innings is extremely scrutinized and frowned upon with conviction. Thoughts arise over that playing shot and its requirement at that crucial juncture. It is then left only to 'ifs and buts', and the potential result otherwise, had it not gone that way. 

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The 23-year-old batter's test career, yet, is only 22 matches young and has witnessed some outstanding highs. From his debut score of 171 runs against the West Indies in the Caribbean, twin double hundreds against England in Vizag and Rajkot, to a sensational match-winning knock of 161 runs against Australia in Perth, Jaiswal has had a fair taste of the tough dynamics of red-ball cricket. He has notably been a part of the major overseas tours to South Africa (2024), Australia (2024-25), and England (2025-present). His returns adorning the prestigious Indian whites, without a single ray of doubt, have been well above average, but at times questionable as well.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's Test Career Numbers So Far

MATCHES	RUNS	BEST	AVERAGE	100s	50s
22	2031	214*	50.77	5	11

Those who have followed his test batting charts, deeply and studiously, might have observed a very subtle pattern. Curiosity arises over it and demands some serious glaring. As a test series progresses, Yashasvi's scores off his bat, more often than not, get inversely proportional, and this sets up a disproportion. It consequently has given birth to a peculiar tale that confronts him at this stage of his first-class career. Numbers, primarily linked with the average drop, shall aid in comprehending that, and the probable reasons behind such sequence. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal's Scores in a Test Series

METRICS	MATCH OF THE SERIES
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
PLAYED	7	7	4	2	2
RUNS	668	718	280	276	89
AVERAGE	51.38	51.28	46.66	69	29.66

There is a marginal drop in the form and subsequent number of runs Jaiswal hits as the series progresses further into the fourth and fifth test match. He has only featured twice completely in a five-match test rubber, once home against England and the other away in Australia. The current Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 between England and India in the UK is the third such instance for him, even where he began sumptuously in the first two games in Leeds and Birmingham respectively, but failed agonizingly in the third at the Lord's. These form-loaded observations have come into the picture courtesy of the consistency in the pattern that the data portrays. After battling out intensively at the initial points, feeling cooked, uncomfortable, and worn out in the latter parts of the series might be one of the major reasons for these dwindling figures. It can, however, become a matter of big concern moving ahead, and if results are deeply impacted through weak foundations from the batters at the top. It, hence, calls for clear evaluations, re-discovery, better and calculative shot selection, and playing the ball on its merit. 

Yashasvi possesses all the ingredients to be termed synonymous with greatness, sailing ahead in cricket. And India would meticulously hope he gets better with time, adding a little dose of safety in his batting approach. This would not only help Indian cricket in moving forward, but also sustain his career, progressively, for years to come. If done right, he will certainly become an ethereal pillar of reliance in history.