Doing well against Australia will be a feather in his cap: Shivnarine Chanderpaul on his son Tagenarine

Perth: Former West Indies cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul believes if his son Tagenarine Chanderpaul performs well in the Test series against Australia, it will be a feather in his cap and probably would help in propelling his career.

Making scores of 119 and 56 against a Prime Minister’s XI boasting a bowling attack of several Australian internationals, the 26-year-old Tagenarine all but locked in his spot in the touring side’s playing XI for the first Test match in Perth, beginning on Wednesday.

The left-hander will likely open the batting alongside captain Kraigg Brathwaite, a just reward for a prolonged stretch of runs in First Class cricket.

The runs in Canberra complemented an unbeaten hundred for West Indies A on a recent tour of Bangladesh, on top of two centuries for his native Guyana, of which he has been a consistent contributor. Chanderpaul’s 439 runs in the West Indies four-day competition is only bettered by his skipper’s 584.

Tagenarine’s First Class average of 35.55 might not jump off the page, with the figures telling the tale of batters in the region forced to cut their teeth on slow surfaces. Nkrumah Bonner for example stands 24 innings into his Test career with an average of 37.47, a far cry from his 28.43 while building his game in Jamaican colours.

His early success in Australia bodes well for his international future, and father Shivnarine, a recent ICC Hall of Fame inductee, says a good series Down Under can help him climb the ladder even quicker.

“It’s not going to be easy in Australia. No other team has come here and done well. If you can do well against Australia, it is going to be a feather in his cap, and probably help him to propel his career,” Chanderpaul told icc-cricket.com.

Notably, Shivnarine boasts a strong record in Test cricket against Australia, making 1649 runs at 49.96, with five centuries to his name. However, all five scores of three figures came at home with the left-hander unable to convert on Australian soil, making five fifties at an average of 30.20.

For Shivnarine though, it was challenging his game against the best, at the time an all-dominant Australian side, that primed him.

“I used to love playing against Australia, especially in the beginning of the year, because they push to raise your standards and if you can do well against them throughout the year, you will do well, because you’re playing at a different level,” the former cricketer said.

“If he can get a start and do well out here, it will help him with his career,” he added.

It’s not difficult to see the parallels between the two at the crease, both facing up almost front on to the bowler and both placing a huge value on their wicket.

The pair batted together for Guyana when their respective careers overlapped, and Shivnarine says his technical philosophies of moving forward into the ball to prevent the head and eyes dropping were key values applied as his son moved through the ranks.

“He’s one of those guys who, when he gets a chance to get in, he’ll try and bat long. There’s a few other things he can work on, but he’s got an opportunity now and hopefully he can grab it,” he said.

The two-Test series is part of the World Test Championship, with action in Perth followed by an encounter at Adelaide Oval from December 8.

–IANS