India's Yashasvi Jaiswal (left) celebrates his century. — AFP

Batting maestro Virat Kohli delivered a sensational performance against Australia in the first Test on Sunday, but it was Yashasvi Jaiswal who demonstrated the future of Indian batting. Australia is trailing by 522 runs on day three in Perth, collapsing to 12-3 at stumps after India declared at 487-6, thanks to Jaiswal's 161 and Kohli's unbeaten 100.

"Paaji (elder brother Kohli) has been doing it for a long time, so he's just incredible," a jubilant Jaiswal told reporters. "I was enjoying his batting, we were so happy." Kohli, walking to the crease at 275-2, played without scoreboard pressure, dissecting the field with ease and becoming increasingly aggressive throughout his innings.

India's Virat Kohli ended his Test century drought with a brilliant knock. — AFP

Kohli hit eight fours and two sixes, blowing kisses to his wife, Bollywood star Anushka Sharma, upon reaching his 30th Test century. The 36-year-old's first ton in 16 months comes in a country where he has scored 1457 runs at an average of 56, making it a happy hunting ground. However, while Kohli's century was the highlight of India's day, opener Jaiswal earned the title of heir-apparent to Kohli as his side's batting figurehead by helping set the mammoth target score of 534.

"Be fearless," Jaiswal described his approach, which included caution on day two to see off the new ball, and enterprising aggression on the third morning to take the game away from the hosts. "I will go and take a brave decision, this is my mindset. What is required for my team, I will try and do." Half an hour into the day, and with a point to prove after falling for a duck in the first innings, the 22-year-old brought up his fourth Test hundred audaciously upper-cutting pacer Josh Hazlewood to deep fine leg.

Ominously, and much like vintage Kohli, when Jaiswal reaches three figures he likes to make it count, having converted the two other centuries scored in 2024 into doubles. He fluently passed 150 during a 38-run stand with Kohli, but eventually pushed his luck too far against all-rounder Mitchell Marsh when a full-blooded cut was caught by Steve Smith at point to end a spectacular 432-minute knock. In a symbolic changing of the guard at the end of the day, Jaiswal said Kohli instructed him to lead the team off the field. "He told me 'Go, go forward'."

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