India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has taken the cricketing world by storm with his batting exploits since Test debut in August 2023.
The southpaw amassed 712 runs at an average of 89 in the five-Test series against England at home earlier this year, which made him the fastest Indian to score 1000 runs in the longest format.
During the recently held home season, Jaiswal returned with scores of 56, 10, 72, 51, 13, 35, 30, 77, 30 and 5 against Bangladesh and New Zealand. As a result, he boasts an impressive Test record – 1407 runs in 14 matches at an average of 56.28 with three hundreds and eight half-centuries.
Having proven his mettle in home conditions, Jaiswal is now gearing up for the away challenge Down Under. The Indian team is due to play five Test matches in Australia, starting November 22 in Perth.
Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former cricketer Yuvraj Singh has delivered a crucial message for Yashasvi Jaiswal and other young Indian batters, saying that their game against pace and bounce will be tested by the Australian quicks.
"He is an exceptional talent. It will be a big test for him. If he is able to counter the bounce, he will score big. The same goes for Sarfaraz Khan. Australia will attack you with the short ball," Yuvraj told Mid-day.
India have won the last two Test series on Australian soil. However, the situation is a lot different this time around as they are coming into the series on the back of a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home.
While Yuvraj backed India to retain the coveted BGT, he believes it will be a tougher tour Down Under this time around.
"They're going to look to dominate you. It's going to be hard to beat Australia. But you've done that twice in the past. So there's no reason you can't do it again. But for that, the top guys have to fire; Jasprit Bumrah has to take wickets. I back India to win, but we must remember that Australia will also be prepared," he remarked.
India and Australia are slated to square off in a five-match series for the first time in over three decades. After the series opener in Perth, the action will shift to Adelaide (December 6-10), where both teams will face each other in a Day-Night Test. The last three Tests are set to take place in Brisbane (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30), and Sydney (January 3-7).
Yuvraj Singh acknowledged the challenge posed by a Test series comprising five matches. "They have played three Test matches at home. It's not that they will play after T20 or ODI cricket, and the body is not used to five-day cricket. After three Test matches, when you go and play matches, your body is ready to play five-day matches. This generation is fitter. They know how to recover better," he said.
"The last two Test matches will be more mentally taxing because after three Test matches, the body will start wearing down, and fatigue will kick in. Perth is a hot place, so is Adelaide. It will be the same all over Australia. Whoever is mentally more into the battle will win the Test series."
