Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble feels that Yashasvi Jaiswal should not change his aggressive approach during the Test series against Australia. He highlighted the confidence Jaiswal would have going into the series, knowing India won the series on their last two tours. Jaiswal enjoyed a prolific year in the whites for India and will be heading to Australia for the Border Gavaskar series with head held high. This will be his first time touring Australia for a high-profile series, which will begin from November 22 in Perth. Jaiswal grabbed the eyeballs for his aggressive batting approach against England earlier this year and Bangladesh recently.
“I don’t think he will change his approach. The best part about him in this current Indian team is that, even though he’s touring Australia for the first time and will be playing against Australia on their home soil for the first time, he has a big advantage. This Indian team is heading to Australia with two back-to-back series wins over them, which is a great confidence booster for a youngster,” Kumble told Jio Cinema.
Jaiswal’s dream start in Tests
Jaiswal has played only 11 Tests, having made his debut last year, and has already accumulated 1217 runs with three hundreds and seven fifties to his name. With plenty of records already to his name, Jaiswal couldn’t have asked for a better start to his Test career than this.
Kumble recalled the times when the youngsters had hesitation in their minds while facing the mighty Australians in their own den. However, he felt that Jaiswal would feel more comfortable with India having dominated the Australians at their own home.
“When other teams tour Australia, they often do so with some hesitation because of past failures. The intimidation factor is real, since previous teams haven’t had much success there. But for this Indian side, coming off two series wins against Australia, the situation is much more comfortable.”
“Can’t see why can’t he succeed in Australia”
Jaiswal has always shown his hunger for scoring runs, as he recently became the first Indian opener in a decade to score two fifties in each innings of a Test match vs Bangladesh. He currently stands at the 2nd position after Joe Root with the most runs in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. Kumble wanted Jaiswal to showcase his versatility and play as per the conditions in Australia.
“His technique and hunger for runs will be key, and I don’t see why he can’t succeed in Australia. He’s been prolific throughout this WTC cycle. We saw him play with a different approach against Bangladesh—starting cautiously in the first Test, where conditions favored the fast bowlers, and then switching to his naturally aggressive style in the second game. This versatility will serve him well in Test cricket, especially on challenging tours like Australia,” Kumble said.
“As for his batting, I believe he has the game to take on the Aussie bowlers. There won’t be as much seam movement as you’d encounter in England or South Africa. In New Zealand, you’d also see some movement, but in Australia, it’s more about bounce and carry. He just needs to adapt to that.”
