Sooryavanshi will pass Test with flying colours

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become the talk of the cricketing world Fans everywhere are excited by his fearless approach and among his admirers are two of Indiarsquos greatest cricketers mdash Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin TendulkarSunil Gavaskar has gone a step further describing Vaibhav as ldquoGodrsquos gift to Indian cricketrdquo Such praise from a legend like Gavaskar is rare and speaks volumes about the young batterrsquos potentialSachin Tendulkar has also been highly impressed saying ldquoI watched him bat and it was magnificent Hersquos truly special and not just because of his ability to hit the ball what fascinated me was his wrist workrdquo Sachinrsquos observation is spot on The youngster possesses a natural instinct for picking up line and length earlier than most batsmen More importantly he has already shown the ability to adapt to different situationsOne innings may see him blast 97 off just 27 balls while another finds him scoring a measured 96 off 55 deliveries when batting conditions are difficult and wickets are falling at the other end That ability to change gears according to the demands of the match is a sign of cricketing intelligence Sooryavanshirsquos partnership with Ravindra Jadeja in Qualifier 2 highlighted this quality even further Jadeja who has watched and guided many young cricketers encouraged the youngster to play his natural game while taking the supporting role himself It was a mature partnership and an indication that Sooryavanshi understands the rhythm of an inningsThe history of Indian cricket offers several examples of players adapting their game across formats Tendulkar began his firstclass career graduated to Test cricket batting at No 4 and then reinvented himself as an opening batter in ODIs before then adjusting when T20 cricket and the IPL arrived Sachinrsquos journey strengthened my belief that a great Test cricketer can adapt not only to different pitch conditions and match situations but also to different formats of the game Rahul Dravid Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli and many others have proved this time and againSooryavanshi has already shown that he can be a superstar in T20 cricket but what excites me even more is his ability to adjust his game according to the conditions Those contrasting innings mdash one explosive and one controlled mdash suggest that he is not merely a power hitter but a thinking cricketer That gives me confidence that he can adapt to redball cricket as naturally as a fish takes to waterThis is where coaches and selectors will play an important role Young players inevitably face failures During those difficult phases they need support patience and encouragement A helping hand is often needed when a player is down Once he regains confidence and starts running again itrsquos best to let him express himself freelySuccess in FirstClass and Test cricket is what ultimately proves the quality of a cricketer Consistent performances at home establish a playerrsquos credentials Performing consistently in challenging overseas conditions mdash on the fast and bouncy pitches of Australia and South Africa or the seaming tracks of England and New Zealand mdash elevates a player to greatnessAnd when a cricketer performs successfully in all conditions both home and away over a decade or more he enters the realm of legends Gavaskar Tendulkar and Dravid are among those rare namesSo Vaibhav has a long way to go Hersquos only a teenager and has not yet entered the demanding world of longform cricket where skill temperament patience and cricketing intelligence are tested repeatedly The transition from T20 cricket to Test cricket is never easy Whiteball success does not automatically guarantee redball success Waiting for him are experienced FirstClass bowlers who have spent years mastering the art of exploiting difficult conditionsThat will be his real examinationFor now he remains a young boy with extraordinary promise The road ahead is long and many challenges await but if he continues to learn adapt and grow Indian cricket may indeed have found a very special talentWhen Tendulkar made his mark as a teenager he inspired millions and raised the expectations of parents who dreamed of seeing their own children play for India at a young age Now Sooryavanshi has pushed those expectations even higherWhile such success stories inspire young cricketers they also create added pressure Many talented youngsters find themselves carrying not only their own dreams but also the hopes and ambitions of their families The challenge for parents and coaches is to encourage talent without burdening children with unrealistic expectations Every playerrsquos journey is different and greatness cannot be rushedThe writer was a part of Indiarsquos 1983 World Cupwinning teamOneVaibhav Sooryavanshi is the first player to score a century in each of his first two IPL seasons440No of balls taken by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to reach 1000 IPL runs mdash the fastest ever776No of runs scored by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi mdash the most by an uncapped batter in an IPL seasonThreeNo of innings in which Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has hammered 10plus sixes mdash the most for any player in one IPL season