England all-rounder Will Jacks reacted to becoming the first bowler to dismiss Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in an international match, admitting that it could be a ‘pub quiz answer’ in a few years’ time. The 27-year-old got the 15-year-old left-hander stumped on his T20I debut at Old Trafford last Saturday and added that the crowd reaction at the venue when his name was announced made him look like he was the most important player in the squad.
“That might be a pub quiz answer in a few years’ time. Yeah, he is the guy. Obviously, watching him in the IPL and being there and playing against him, he’s a bums-on-seats kid. Obviously, his age, but the amount 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.”
“He’s incredibly fun to play against. I think you just see the crowd reaction at Manchester when his name comes up for the team sheet. It’s like he’s the most important player on their team, and everyone wants to see him. He’s incredibly dangerous,” he told Wisden’s ‘The Scoop’ podcast.
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Jacks admitted that one of the plans against Sooryavanshi was to try to ensure he did not hit him for a six, and added that he was a reactive bowler who observed batsmen and their movements before trying to get them out.
“Yeah, obviously, as easy as that can be. I think he goes after it from ball one, and you just have to be incredibly switched on. Me, as a bowler specifically, I’m quite a reactive bowler. I use my eyes a lot, and I kind of just go off what I see. Some days that might be different, and my plans kind of change on the fly. I think that can sometimes be quite difficult for the batters to face,” he added.
The second T20I remains the only instance in the series where the 15-year-old has fallen to spin. In the subsequent matches at Nottingham and Bristol, Sooryavanshi was dismissed by Jofra Archer’s short ball, raising questions over his ability to handle the rising delivery.
