Sunil Gavaskar said that Yashasvi Jaiswal has the potential to shine in India’s upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa.

Back in July, Jaiswal made his Test debut against the West Indies where he scored 266 runs from two matches at an average of 88.66.

After scoring 171 in the opening Test, Jaiswal also racked up the third-highest individual score by an Indian batter on his Test debut.

Gavaskar lauded Jaiswal, saying that the left-handed batter plays the ball ‘very late’ and takes his time before going for ambitious shots.

“Yes, it’s going to be a test for him. But I do believe that he has got the capability to 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 still, he gets into the line quite nicely. He is not looking to rush at the ball. He plays it very late, he loves to give himself time in the middle,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying on Star Sports.

Gavaskar said that if Jaiswal can survive the initial burst from the South African new ball bowlers, he has a chance of dictating terms to the opposition.

He is a good player of the short ball, he is not afraid to play the pull shot. 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 added.

The opening Test between India and South Africa is set to start on December 26 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.