A high backlift, the occasional expansive cover drive, the willow with the MRF logo — those are traits common to two top-order batsmen across generations. One was an aesthete's delight, and the other is cricket's, now familiar, 'boy next door turned star'.
Prithvi Shaw has been compared to Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara in equal measure.
Lara: 'Everyone's just looking for robots who can bowl fast'
The 18-year-old left an impression on his debut, scoring his maiden Test ton and Lara believes the diminutive batsman has what it takes to succeed against Australia in its own backyard.
"Any youngster looking to do well in Australia has to embrace the challenge. If you look at someone like Prithvi for instance — everyone is already talking about how he is going to do on bouncier wickets. He has the inner mental strength that holds a player in good stead. Your technique will adapt to the conditions if you are mentally strong, without that, you'll fail.
"I saw Shaw batting against the West Indies quicks who were bowling at speeds in excess of 140 and he looked pretty solid. That said, if he doesn't have a good tour Down Under, doesn't mean he won't have a good career. "
Asked how athletes motivated themselves to keep going when they hit a purple patch, Lara cited India captain Virat Kohli's example and stated that "he is ticking all the right boxes."
"It looks like he is never going to experience fatigue. And if he does run out of steam, he can always take a break, like he has done with the T20 series against West Indies. His numbers are mainly because of his focus.. He's not shying away from any challenge. And that's important for any young player.. A player like that, with his passion and commitment, has shown that he can excel at things outside his comfort zone."
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