New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- They've grown up in the public eye, stars of India's junior setup, marked for greatness at an early age and in India, where potential and reality interweave in strange ways sometimes, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have lived up to their billing as the next big things. On Saturday, one might remember them for that horrible mix-up early on the second day of the West Indies Test. Jaiswal called for a quick, non-existent single. Gill's eyes followed the ball and decided there was no run there. But by the time the skipper put his hand up, his partner had already come three-fourths of the way. It was too late. Still, by the time the Indian innings was declared on 518/5, two scores stood out. Jaiswal's 175 and Gill's 129*. This is fast becoming a pattern. Two youngsters, 23 and 26 - one U-19 generation apart (Gill played in the 2018 U-19 World Cup and Jaiswal in 2020), are bossing it on the senior stage. Not to forget that Jaiswal grabbed the chance to debut as opener with a 171 on the 2023 West Indies tour after Gill dropped to No.3. Over the last two years, Jaiswal, with 2,154 runs, is the leading scorer in Tests. Closely followed by England's Joe Root (2,127 runs) and Gill (1,860 runs). Centuries in three countries for Jaiswal in less than a year show that he is a player ready to adapt and persist. Meanwhile, Gill's tour of England, where he scored 754 runs at an average of 75.40, has showcased a hunger few cricketers possess, fewer still ever sate. This year (654 runs at 46.71) hasn't been as kind to Jaiswal though. But 2024 was a different matter altogether. He scored 1,478 runs (avg 54.74) while managing to make Test cricket look like a pretty easy deal. He showcased resolve and intent as he responded to Bazball with Jais-ball. If 2024 was Jaiswal's year, 2025 has been Gill's. He was made the Test captain and his response was to calmly rake in the runs, 966 of them. The tally also includes five centuries - the most by a player in the year they first began captaining their country. There are years that elevate your game, when it seems like you can do no wrong; when everything seems to hit the middle of the bat; when you start to think you were born to bat. The years, on their own, are important. They are, after all, the foundation. But it is the individual response to those years that truly makes the batter. Do you get a little complacent? Do you take things for granted? Or, do you simply buckle down and work even harder? What does a glimpse of greatness inspire? In Gill's case, the responsibility of captaincy has brought the best out of him, but the rest aren't lagging behind in that department either. "Since he (Gill) took over as captain, his batting average has become very good and the consistency is helping the team," said vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja after play on Day 2. "But the thing about this young generation is how they take responsibility, and that is true of Jaiswal as well. All the youngsters who are coming into the set-up, they don't want to leave it to anyone else. It is very good for Indian cricket that these youngsters are already accustomed to scoring big centuries at such an early stage in their careers. In the coming future, it will benefit Indian cricket greatly." Gill's Test career didn't quite take off as many had expected but he has now found his method. His approach to scoring runs is to seamlessly destroy the opposition. There isn't the madness of Rishabh Pant, instead there is a calmness that is just as unsettling. Jaiswal, for Jadeja, is different. The left-hander seems to place function over form and his aggressive mindset quickly puts the pressure back on the opposition. But there is one particular aspect that stands out for him. "I would say Jaiswal is a very clever batter," said Jadeja. "He knows which bowler he needs to attack and who he needs to play out. Despite his youth, he is very mature and he reads the situation of the game very well." Jadeja added: "This is why he goes out and makes such big runs. His shot selection is very good and he chooses his moments." Among Indian batters who have scored more than 2,000 Test runs, only three have averaged over 50 at the end of their careers - Sunil Gavaskar (51.12), Sachin Tendulkar (53.78) and Rahul Dravid (52.63). Jaiswal, with 2,420 runs (avg 52.60), has the potential to join them, but as Virat Kohli's career arc showed us, that is anything but easy. Goal-setting is key in professional sport and playing all the formats is not very easy. But for now, Gill is clear about his plans. "Sometimes, there is mental fatigue, because you are constantly playing. There is obviously a certain expectation that I have from myself, and to be able to keep up with my own expectations sometimes becomes the challenge," Gill said on the eve of the Test here. Indeed, one can't help but wonder where they will end up at the end of their careers. Will their names find a place among the legends of Indian cricket or will they falter and have us all thinking of the what ifs? The joy of sport is that one can never tell for certain - you just have to follow along. Yes, this is just the beginning, but what a beginning it is....