Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earns praise after making his mark at the highest level

The 15-year-old had a tough introduction to senior international cricket when he toured England earlier this month but bounced back with two fifties against Zimbabwe as India completed a series clean sweep.

Sooryavanshi struck exactly 50 from 19 balls in series opener in Harare before he concluded the tour with 81 off 49 deliveries for his first major contributions in senior India colours.

"Very mature. That's what I really appreciate about Vaibhav," Laxman, who was standing in for regular head coach Gautam Gambhir in Zimbabwe, said. "With every experience and every match, he understands, assesses and gets better.

"He reviews every practice session, not just matches. What you saw today was a mature innings because it was a huge ground and the wicket was slow, with the ball stopping a bit. I thought the Zimbabwe bowlers had a plan against him today, and he countered that plan. It was a very, very mature knock from Vaibhav.

"He knows his game. For him, as with anyone, it's just about minute adjustments in terms of skill. But what is really impressive is the way he's evolved as a person.

"His maturity, understanding and awareness over the last six months have skyrocketed. That's why he's been able to handle tough situations and perform under pressure against the best players."

The teenager faced plenty of short-pitched bowling from England's pace attack in his debut series, and Laxman was impressed with how the left-handed batter bounced back.

"Even last year, when he played for Rajasthan Royals for the first time, the way he handled pressure was impressive, Laxman said. "I believe any IPL match is equivalent to an international match.

"At 14 or 15, when you're playing in the IPL, either you can be overawed by the occasion or embrace the pressure. I think he chose the second option.

"So I'm not surprised by the way this series has gone. He was disappointed not to get a hundred, but we told him it's not going to be the first or the last opportunity he'll get.

"He's got a long career ahead, and he has the attitude and mindset to improve every day. I'm sure he will progress and break all the records at the international level. He's got all the potential and ability to do that."