Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has said that India will have to take a judicious approach to teenage batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, stressing that he needs to be nurtured carefully if he is to develop into a Test cricketer.
Harbhajan pointed out that young players will go through ups and downs at the beginning of their career, but if you support them with the right opportunities, it can influence their mindset and play. “Eventually, he learns, through ups and downs. But if a 15-year-old can hit the ball, he can also block. It’s about the mindset; if you give him an opportunity, he will adapt,” Harbhajan said during the Legends Club event to celebrate Sachin Tendulkar’s 53rd birthday.
He warned against exposing youngsters to harsh overseas conditions too soon, especially in places like England, where swing can present a stern test. “But if you send him to England for the first tour where the ball will swing, it will not be a matter of intelligence. If we want him to play Test cricket, we will have to nurture him,” Harbhajan added.
Harbhajan also turned his attention to the wider structure of the game in India, stressing the importance of prioritizing Test cricket and preparing pitches that allow matches to last a full five days. He said the balanced surfaces will not only test the batsmen more thoroughly but also ensure that the bowlers, especially the spinners, do not get excessive help.
“I would strongly recommend that Test cricket be a priority because that’s where you get the best cricket and cricketers. In Test cricket, you see the best competition because it’s five days long and the challenge changes every day,” he said.
“Obviously there are a lot of things happening on the pitch, so people have to change their mindset and adapt to those conditions and come out victorious.”
He added that young batsmen like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre will have to develop the temperament required for red-ball cricket. Yashasvi Jaiswal as a benchmark among the present generation.
“They (upcoming batsmen) will have to carve out a place and of course create enough buzz to be good enough to be in the squad for Test cricket,” he added.
“If there is anyone who is the best batsman among them, it is Yashasvi Jaiswal and we are not even talking about him. He has the perfect mix of what is required in T20s and what is required in Test cricket. He has the mindset to leave the ball for practice and in the next practice he would start scoring runs.”
“There are very few people with that kind of mindset and he (Jaiswal) has made a place for himself. I think Jaiswal, Sooryavanshi and even Ishan Kishan have the same mindset to bat the ball, but at the same time you have to understand that when the ball is moving and the conditions are different, you have to have a game where you have to defend the ball,” Harbhajan said.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
24 Apr 2026 18:35 IST
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