Indian spin legend Anil Kumble said that he does not see any reason why young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal cannot succeed in Australia during the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year, pointing out that his versatility could serve him well during the Australian tour.
Kumble was speaking on JioCinema as India aims to continue its home domination, with the first Test of the three-match series against New Zealand starting from today in Bengaluru.
Speaking on JioCinema, Kumble pointed out that Jaiswal has been consistent in the current ICC World Test Championship cycle of 2023-25 and was also able to change gears according to bowlers and conditions during the recently-concluded Bangladesh series at home.
He has 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.
Kumble said that he does not feel that Jaiswal will change his aggressive approach in Australia, where India has won two back-to-back series. He also said that India's past success Down Under will contribute to youngster playing more confidently and fearlessly.
"I do not 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.
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," he added.
In the ongoing WTC Cycle, Jaiswal is the second-highest run-getter (next to England's Joe Root who has 1,660 runs in 18 Tests) with 1,217 runs in 11 matches and 20 innings at an average of 64.05 and a strike rate of 71.67.