Brian Lara sets expectations for Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of stern Australia test: 'On their shores are a different beast'

Yashasvi Jaiswal is arguably among the biggest young batting sensations in the world thanks to his success in T20s and Tests, two formats that require almost contrasting skill sets as an opener. Jaiswal has proven his ability to play in an aggressive manner in Test cricket, reminiscent of the way he plays in the shortest format, but also showed in the five-match Test series against England earlier this year and in his debut series in the West Indies that he is capable of hunkering down and playing the slow game as well. Jaiswal has scored a whopping 1217 runs in just 11 Tests thus far at an average of 64.05 with three centuries and five half-centuries. (PTI)

Jaiswal has scored a whopping 1217 runs in just 11 Tests thus far at an average of 64.05 with three centuries and five half-centuries. He also managed to convert two of those centuries to double hundreds. However, the 22-year-old could be in for the biggest test of his career when he opens the batting for India against Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

West Indies batting great Brian Lara said that he expects Jaiswal to do well Down Under. "Obviously, the pitches in Australia are slightly different. But if you take your mentality, and if you take that sort of strength that you have, you're going to play good cricket in any conditions," Lara said on the sidelines of the launch of the International Masters League in Mumbai on Tuesday. "I expect to see him do well."

‘The adjustment is upstairs’

Lara knows a thing or two about excelling in Australia. The legendary left-hander scored 1469 runs in 19 Tests in Australia at an average of 41.97 with four centuries and as many half-centuries. Lara famously smashed 277 in Sydney on his maiden trip to Australia, back in 1992/93.

"I think the adjustment is upstairs," Lara said, pointing to the head. "The adjustment is the ability to back your talent in whatever conditions. I say this with a pinch of salt, because conditions in India have changed.

Lara said that there isn't much that Jaiswal has to change technically having already faced a number of Australian players at some stage, whether in the Indian Premier League (IPL) or in international cricket. “With the IPL, you've got international players coming - and you're feeding your players a different level of competition, which is great. 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,” said Lara.

Lara also said that Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma are the two young Indian openers that 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 go from strength to strength,” said Lara.

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