Son of a gun: Shivnarine's view of Tagenarine Chanderpaul ahead of Australia Test series
Making scores of 119 and 56 against a Prime Minister's XI boasting a bowling attack of several Australian internationals, the 26-year-old 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 compliment 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.
Tagenarine's early success in Australia bodes well for his international future, and his father Shivnarine, a recent ICC Hall of Fame inductee, says a good series Down Under can help him climb the ladder even quicker.
ICC Hall of Fame | Shivnarine Chanderpaul: 'Patient, dependable'
West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2022.
“It's not going to be easy in Australia. No other team has come here and done well,” Chanderpaul admitted to icc-cricket.com on the evening he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
“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.”
Shivnarine boasts a strong record in Test cricket against Australia, making 1649 runs at 49.96, with five centuries to his name. All five scores of three figures came at home however, 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.”
“If he can get a start and do well out here, it will help him with his career.”
West Indies heap praise on ICC Hall of Fame inductee Shivnarine Chanderpaul
West Indies heap praise on ICC Hall of Fame inductee Shivnarine Chanderpaul
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.”
At the other end though, Australia's attack stands as one of the world's best with red ball in hand, and will provide stiff opposition in their own backyard.
Mitchell Starc is just 13 wickets away from 300 in the format, and would become just the seventh Australian man to reach the milestone. Josh Hazlewood boasts 215 scalps at 25.92, while skipper Pat Cummins is one away from 200 Test wickets, claiming his victims at an average of just 21.66. Backing up the pace attack is off-spinner Nathan Lyon, only behind Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for men to wear the Baggy Green in terms of wickets, with 438 to his name.
The two-Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship, with action in Perth followed by an encounter at Adelaide Oval from 8 December.