Indian Captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal during a training session ahead of the first cricket test match between India and New Zealand at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: Skipper Rohit Sharma heaped praise on "real talent" Yashasvi Jaiswal and said he wasn't surprised by the way his fellow Mumbaikar has performed.
The left-handed opener has amassed 1217 runs in just 11 Tests with three hundreds and seven fifties at an average of 64.05 and is touted to carry the great Indian batting legacy forward along with Shubman Gill and a few other youngsters.
"He has got the game to play in all sorts of conditions," Rohit emphasised. "Obviously, he is very new to international cricket right now. So, It's very hard to judge right now. But he has got all the ingredients for success at this level. It is just about how he manages himself in the next couple of years.
"And what he has shown us in this brief period of time. You can bet on him and expect him to do wonders for the team. He has come through the ranks. He has played a lot of domestic cricket, under-19 cricket. And obviously, has succeeded as well. And that is why he is right now playing for India. And so far in his short career, he has shown what he is capable of.
"And speaking about him a little bit, he is somebody who wants to learn the game. Learn about batsmanship, which is always a nice thing. When a youngster comes into the team, his mindset is quite critical. And the mindset that he has shown, he always wants to learn. Always wants to improve, not happy with what he has achieved which is obviously a great start to a young career. I mean, we have found a great player. Hopefully, he can just continue to do what he has done in the last year or so."
Rohit also lauded Jasprit Bumrah's leadership qualities and backed him to come good as captain after the pacer was "re-appointed" as the vice-captain of the Indian Test squad. Indian selectors hadn't named a deputy to Rohit during the two-Test series against Bangladesh.
"Bumrah, you know, he has played a lot of cricket and I've played a lot of cricket with him," Rohit noted here on Tuesday. "He understands the game pretty well. He has got a good head on his shoulders. Tactically, I can't say much because he has not captained much. He has captained in one Test match and a couple of T20s, I guess. But look, when you talk to him, he understands the game. He understands what is required. When you are in a situation where you need a leader to step up, I think Bumrah will be one of them.
"So, over the past few years he has always been in our leadership group. You know, whether it is speaking to the bowlers who have just come into the squad, whether it is just internally with the team to discuss how to move forward as a team... He has always been part of that leadership group. And yeah, I guess, you know, one of the experienced players as well."