Former India coach Ravi Shastri said that while opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is already ‘world-class’, he will be a better player when he returns from his first tour of Australia. The five-Test BGT 2024 series begins on November 22 in Perth.

The 22-year-old Jaiswal will play in Australia for the first time in his career. He made his Test debut for India against the West Indies last year and gained notoriety for his performances in a five-match Test series against England earlier this year.

Jaiswal hammered 712 runs in five Tests against England, including back-to-back double centuries. Therefore, there will be high expectations from the 22-year-old when he plays in the five-Test series in Australia.

According to Shastri, if Jaiswal can adapt to the challenging Perth pitch, known for its lively bounce, he will play with freedom later on in the series.

“I think he’ll be a better player when he leaves Australian shores. Already he’s world-class. You saw what he did against England (and) just the freedom with which he plays. I think once he adapts to these conditions, it’s not going to be easy to adjust in Perth with that bounce, no matter how talented you are.

You have got to be prepared to do the hard yards. But if he can see that phase through, I think he’ll entertain. He will love these pitches. He’s someone who scores pretty freely as well,” Shastri told Fox Sports.

Shastri, who guided India to consecutive Test series victories in Australia as head coach, was gushing about Jaiswal's enthusiasm and zest for the game, saying the Mumbai batter is always eager to participate.

“He’s come up the hard way, so you can see that hunger and passion, not just in his eyes, but when he’s out there in the middle, fielding in the slips. He wants to be involved in the game," Shastri said.

Ravi Shastri also backed Virat Kohli, who is under pressure to perform, to shine in the upcoming series.

“You mellow with age, don’t you? But I think at the start of the Test series, you might just see Kohli firing again. He needs to be; I’d like to see him (like that) again. In the face, that’s Kohli. Come Australia, he’ll get his juices going. It’s (about) how he starts off, and for Australia, it’s with Steve Smith,” Shastri was quoted as saying by news.com.au.

The BGT 2024 Test series will also more or less decide the finalists of the WTC 2025 final at Lord’s in June next year.