Brian Lara backs Yashasvi Jaiswal to ‘do well’ in Australia

Yashasvi Jaiswal has got what it takes to succeed in Australia. If his nascent Test career hadn’t already suggested so, the 22-year-old has now received a glowing endorsement from former West Indies captain Brian Lara. Lara reckons Jaiswal can “play in any conditions” and only needs a few mental adjustments to come good in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year.

“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 an event in Mumbai on Tuesday. “I expect to see him do well.”

Jaiswal has had a rousing start as India’s opener in the longest format, having amassed 1217 runs from 11 Tests at an average of 64.05 since his debut in the West Indies in July 2023. The challenge of a first trip to Australia, though, has proved too strong for many in the past, but Lara believes Jaiswal can conquer it as long as he keeps a strong mindset.

“I think the adjustment is upstairs,” Lara said, pointing to the head, having himself famously smashed 277 in Sydney on his maiden trip to Australia, back in 1992-93. “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.

“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.”

Jaiswal has been particularly impressive in India’s home Tests this year, with 901 runs under his belt in just seven games – each of which have seen him post at least one 50-plus score. That has captured the attention of Lara, who picked Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma, who made his T20I debut earlier this year, as the two most exciting Indian batters presently.

“First of all, they’re left-handers,” Lara said. “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.”

Abhishek, 24, played 11 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2023, with Lara as head coach, before having a bumper 2024 campaign which propelled him into the Indian T20I setup after the T20 World Cup win. He is part of the Indian side currently facing Bangladesh in a T20I series, from which Jaiswal has been rested, as the Test team prepares for a three-match contest against New Zealand starting from October 16.

India then play the longest format on the tour of Australia, which begins with the first Test in Perth from November 22.