Yasgasvi Jaiswal
Yasgasvi Jaiswal is widely regarded as one of the world’s best young batsmen, thanks to his success in T20s and Tests, two forms that need nearly opposite skill sets as openers. Jaiswal has demonstrated his ability to play aggressively in Test cricket, similar to how he plays in the shortest format, but he also demonstrated in the five-match Test series against England earlier this year and in his debut series in the West Indies that he can hunker down and play the slow game as well.
Jaiswal has scored 1217 runs in 11 Tests at an average of 64.05, with three hundreds and five half-centuries. He also managed to turn two of the centuries into double hundreds. However, the 22-year-old could face the most difficult test of his career when he opens the batting for India against Australia in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Brian Lara, the legendary West Indian batsman, believes Jaiswal would do well in Australia. “Obviously, Australian pitches are little different. But if you take your mentality and the strength that you have, you’ll be able to play good cricket in any situation,” Lara said on the sidelines of the International Masters League’s opening in Mumbai on Tuesday. “I expect to see him do well.”
‘The adjustment is upstairs’
Lara is no stranger to success in Australia. The renowned left-hander scored 1469 runs in 19 Tests in Australia, averaging 41.97 and including four hundreds and as many half-centuries. Lara famously smashed 277 in Sydney during his first tour to Australia in 1992/93.
“I think the adjustment is upstairs,” Lara answered, pointing to her head. “Adjustment is the capacity to support your talent under any conditions. I say this with a grain of salt because situations in India have changed.
Lara stated that Jaiswal does not need to change much technically because he has already faced a number of Australian players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket”With the IPL, you have international players coming in, and you’re giving your players a different level of competition, which is fantastic.So I don’t think there’s much that he (Jaiswal) has to do technically. I just think mentally [he has to adjust]: travelling away from home, [and] playing against Australia; Australia, on their shores, are a different beast,” stated Lara.
Lara also stated that Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma are the two young Indian openers who excite him the most. “First of all, they’re left-handers. They’re very young, and they play the game in a style [that is] very attacking, very stylish.”It’s great to see them grow,” said Lara.