Yashasvi Jaiswal is not only one of the brightest young cricketers today but is also a knowledge maniac. Put him with a former cricketer; he will lose track of time. If the former cricketer was a legend like Brian Lara, he could have gone to any extent, like finding him in a hotel room after midnight and getting lost in conversation till 4 am .
Lala, who is the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, looked back fondly on his first meeting with Jaiswal when asked about the lighter moments on the sidelines during the matches between Rajasthan Royals and SRH this season.
“The only thing I can say about that conversation is that I think he is a fantastic young cricketer. What I like about him is that he is very humble and willing to work. When I first met him (last year), I immediately found myself attached to him,” Laura told PTI.
The former West Indies skipper said Jaiswal found him in his hotel room after midnight and their conversation lasted till 4am.
“After the game (SRH vs Royals), I went to the hotel with a friend from the Caribbean who knew Jos Buttler. It was midnight and Jaiswal approached me. I assure you, I Left the hotel at 4 o’clock.
“He just wants to be heard more and more. That’s one of his amazing qualities. He has the ability to learn as much as he can. Our conversations are about making him a better cricketer. I’m available to anyone who can and I’m happy to talk about cricket.”
Yashasvi Jaiswal threatens to break my record: Laura
Jaiswal has made a fantastic start to his Test career. He became the first Indian after the legend Sunil Gavaskar to score more than 700 runs in a Test series. Jaiswal did this in the five-match Test series against England at home earlier this year. He also scored two double centuries in the series. The left-hander is currently averaging over 70 in Test cricket. What impressed Lara was Jaiswal’s ability to change gears depending on the game situation.
“If I feel like my record is in jeopardy, Jaiswal has a great opportunity to do it. He has the ability and has done it several times. He’s just that good,” Lara said.
Lara, who recently turned 55, is one of the greatest players in the history of the game, having scored nearly 12,000 runs in Tests and over 10,000 runs in ODIs. His personal best is 400 not out against England in 2004, which still stands high today.
The legend from Trinidad feels that usually records are threatened by batsmen who score runs quickly and Jaiswal has that ability along with the desire to bat for long periods of time.
His record of 400 not outs has not been surpassed for 20 years and Laura hopes he will still see the day when his record is broken.
“I think now, the pace these guys are batting at. You look at the guys who have challenged the 300 and above mark over the years. This is Chris Gayle. This is Virender Sehwag. Virender Sehwag. This is Sanath Jayasuriya, this is Inzamam-ul-ul-Haq, they are the ones who disrupt the bowling attack.
“…In the current scenario, you wouldn’t say that about Rahul Dravid or Steve Smith. But players who like to score runs quickly will get a chance. You know, Jaiswal, I mean, I was close to David Warner in Australia when, you know, he was an aggressive player.
“So I believe yes, I think it will be broken at some point. I think it has to be that person’s destiny. Everything has to fall into place. And… I look forward to that moment. I hope it happens , while I’m here,” he said.
Lara also likes Abhishek Sharma
Laura is left-handed herself, so it’s natural to be biased against that tribe. Another left-hander whom he greatly admires is Abhishek Sharma, with whom he spent some time at SRH.
“He is someone I met as batting coach at SRH. I was there for two years. I can be a bit biased when I see left-handers, I just like left-handers. Myself and Abhishek have developed a relationship It’s great that these young people are humble and they want to learn.
“What I love about both of these guys is that they both want to reach great heights. I have a lot of admiration for both of those guys.”