Former England skipper Michael Atherton hailed Yashasvi Jaiswal for putting England on the backfoot on the opening day of the first Test match at Hyderabad. After England posted 246 runs in the first innings, Jaiswal took the attack to visitors bowlers.

The left-hander scored 76 runs on the opening day off just 70 balls with the help of nine fours and three sixes. Jaiswal took a liking to Tom Hartley and smashed him all over the ground. The southpaw added 80 runs with skipper Rohit Sharma to give a fine start to the team.

“It was a great day of cricket. It was a tough day for England, they definitely came off second best today, in particular, because of what happened right at the end of the day when the young lad Jaiswal really played aggressively,” Atherton told Sky Sports at the end of Day 1 in Hyderabad.

Jaiswal scored 44 runs off just 26 balls against debutant Tom Hartley on the opening day.

“He really got stuck into Tom Hartley on debut, an inexperienced player, but it was a definite attempt to get after Hartley on debut,” Atherton further added.

Atherton added that Jaiswal was full of confidence and did a fine job for India on Thursday.

“Jaiswal, England supporters and bowlers won’t have seen as much of him. They got a look at him today and he looks a really confident young lad. He played with real confidence and poise today and just took the game on,” Atherton said.

“Seizing the moment, putting England on the back foot. Stokes would have loved for Hartley to ease his way in on debut but Jaiswal had other ideas,” concluded the former cricketer on the matter.

Jaiswal could only add four runs on the second day morning as he was dismissed after scoring 80 runs by Joe Root.

At lunch on the second day’s play, India are 222-3, trailing by 24 runs.