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[Saba Sports News] Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has an advice for young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who will be playing his first Test match in South Africa, starting from December 26.
Jaiswal recently made his Test debut in the West Indies, beginning his career with a hundred. The southpaw has scored 266 runs in two Test matches at an average of 88.66 so far.
While opining that Jaiswal could do well in the South African conditions, Gavaskar stated that the former plays the ball late, calling it a technical advantage in his batting style.
“Yes, it’s going to be a test for him. But I do believe he can thrive in these conditions too. What I have seen of him in Test matches is that he plays the ball very late, his head is very and still, he gets into the line quite nicely,” Gavaskar said as quoted on Star Sports.
“He is not looking to rush at the ball. He plays it very late, he loves to give himself time in the middle. He is a good player of the short ball, he is not afraid to play the pull shot,” he added.
The cricket-turned-commentator further advised Jaiswal to be watchful in the first 10-12 overs of the innings as the Kookaburra ball offers no movement after that.
“I think, when the Kookaburra ball is used in places like South Africa and Australia, the first 12 overs are important, because the ball does nothing after that. If you survive 12 overs, then nobody can get you out if you are a good batter. So that’s what Yashasvi has to say to himself. If you can be alright for the first 10-12 overs, you can make big runs,” Gavaskar concluded.
The first Test of the upcoming two-match series will begin on December 26 at the SuperSport Park, Centurion.