Rahul Dravid Reflects: Yashasvi is Where I Was 10 Years Ago

KL Rahul sees shades of himself in 22-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, who on his first trip Down Under seems to be in a position like he was on his maiden Australia tour 10 years ago.

In the 2014-15 series, then 22-year-old Rahul, batting at No. 6, had scores of 3 and 1 on debut at MCG but came back in the very next game as opener with an eye-catching knock of 110 in Sydney. As he faced nerves, during his second innings in Sydney in which he scored 16, he himself says that batting for an hour with Murali Vijay eased him.

Rahul is trying to play a similar role with Jaiswal what Vijay, his national team senior had done to him back then. Rahul and Jaiswal shared an Indian record opening stand of 201 in the second innings at Perth, where Jaiswal scored a classy hundred and Rahul played his part with a very useful 77.

"I saw a bit of myself in him, how I was 10 years ago, opening the batting for the first time, lots of doubts, lot of nerves and you keep doubting your own game and a lot that happens in your head, and so all you can do is try and slow things down, try and take a few deep breaths," Rahul replied when asked about his conversations with Indian cricket's next 'pin-up' boy.

Rahul recalled his Test hundred in Sydney, which was the second game of his career. "That's what was passed on to me by my fellow opening partner (M Vijay), I just passed that on to him," KL said. Still, Rahul doesn't deny that self-doubts could creep in time and again but he has tried to preach Jaiswal what he practices.

I'm not saying that I don't have all of this sort of thoughts, I do. However having being here, I know what to do get past those doubts and what-all thoughts you have in the head. And so, whatever I told Jaiswal was what I have been following my self, he said.

Once he got past those first 30-40 balls, he started feeling more confident, he was seeing the ball really well and batted beautifully, Rahul added.