Jaiswal, Sarfaraz sparkle in sublime win

The Mumbai batters, belonging to the same school, are showing the same appetite for runs on the big stage

- Rasesh Mandani

On a warm Sunday afternoon in Rajkot, Sarfaraz Khan let Yashasvi Jaiswal lead the way back to the dressing room and soak in all the applause following their unbeaten 172-run partnership off 158 balls that set up India's declaration and 434-run win. Never mind the nervy moments while running between the wickets, Sarfaraz is Jaiswal's school senior by four years.

For Jaiswal, a second consecutive double century made him only the third Indian to achieve the feat after Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli. Jaiswal's free-flowing range against spin - he hit 12 sixes, another record-reminds one of Kambli, the hugely flamboyant Mumbai left-hander of the 1990s. Jaiswal appears to have the attributes to stay the course. Sarfaraz, on debut, put together two fifties 62 and 68₹.

Together, for 106 minutes on Sunday, Jaiswal and Sarfaraz batted with the freedom that they would for Rizvi Springfield school, Bandra-famous for producing a rich line of prodigious batting talents including Prithvi Shaw. The pressure of Test cricket didn't seem to bother them as they toyed with England's bowling attack.