Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has now played three games and scored around 15 in each of them. On every occasion, he has struck a couple of big shots before getting out attempting another, mostly to short-pitched deliveries. There is a clear pattern to his dismissals, and it is hardly surprising. In hindsight, it may not be a bad thing for the youngster.
There is no doubt about his talent. Anyone who can take on Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue with the kind of shots he has played is clearly a generational talent. But what about game awareness, adaptability and adjusting to different conditions? These are aspects he will learn over time, and there is every reason to believe he will improve.
There was a widespread belief that Vaibhav – dubbed ‘Boss Baby’ and everything else – would arrive in international cricket and dominate in the same manner he did in the IPL. That was never going to be the case in England, South Africa or Australia. Those conditions were always going to test him, and that is where flexibility in approach becomes essential. Such adaptability only comes with exposure and experience. India did the right thing by backing him, and it is only through these experiences that he will learn and get better.
For the fans, this is a useful reality check. Cricket is bigger than any individual, and the game has a way of reminding every player where they stand. Vaibhav may already have mastered Indian conditions, where the ball rarely climbs above waist high, but he still needs greater exposure and experience to become consistent in more demanding environments.
Facing bowlers like Tongue and Archer, both capable of touching 90 mph, is never easy. You cannot simply clear the front leg and swing blindly. Several Indian batters have paid the price for that approach – not just Vaibhav. Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav and Shivam Dube have all, at times, shown a lack of adaptability. You have to respect the conditions; that is what the game demands.
Vaibhav will now have a much clearer understanding of the areas he needs to improve. He will realise that the same approach does not work in every condition and that a one-dimensional game has its limitations. With the talent he possesses, success will come soon enough. The fact that it has not arrived immediately is not necessarily a bad thing. It is part of the sport and always has been.
This should also help bring some balance to the social media discourse. For many, it was easy to assume that Vaibhav would walk into international cricket and dominate every attack. Comparisons were made far too quickly, and they needed to be tempered. It is probably a good thing that this reality check has come in a bilateral series with relatively little at stake.
Going forward, Vaibhav will be a better cricketer because of this experience. He will develop his pull shot, understand exactly where he fell short and work on those areas. That is how players improve, and that is the biggest takeaway from this series. His time will come.
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