England all-rounder Will Jacks shared his thoughts on dismissing India’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the first time in international cricket, anticipating that it will eventually become a memorable trivia question.
The off-spinner became the first bowler in international cricket history when he dismissed the 15-year-old left-hander during his T20I debut at Old Trafford last week. Will Jacks got the child stumped after luring him out of the crease, and he admitted that it was a special circumstance considering the hoopla surrounding the rising star.
The English all-rounder praised Sooryavanshi for his careless batting approach and the excitement he generates every time. He also recalled Old Trafford’s raucous welcome for the young player.
In a few years, that could be the answer to a pub quiz. Indeed, he is the man. It’s obvious that he’s a bums-on-seats kid after seeing him play in the IPL and playing against him. Jacks stated on Wisden’s The Scoop podcast, “Obviously, his age, but the number of times people have said if he was 25 and he’s doing what he does, he’d be one of the best in the world.”
It’s a lot of fun to play against him. I believe you just witness the Manchester crowd’s reaction when his name appears on the team sheet. Everyone wants to see him, as if he were their team’s most vital member. He’s really dangerous,” he added.
Will Jacks also revealed England’s strategy against the young opener, saying that one of the primary objectives was to prevent him from clearing the ropes.
Yes, of course, as simple as it can be. He goes for it from the first ball, in my opinion, and you just need to be extremely focused. In particular, I’m a really reactive bowler. I rely mostly on what I see because I use my eyes a lot. On certain days, it might not be the case, and my plans tend to change at the last minute. Will Jacks said, “I believe that can sometimes be quite difficult for the batters to face.”
Interestingly, Will Jacks is still the only spinner to dismiss Sooryavanshi in the current T20I series. In the games that followed at Nottingham and Bristol, Jofra Archer’s short-pitched bowling crushed the youthful hitter, casting doubt on his ability to control rising deliveries.
