In an exciting announcement, India's captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that young cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal will make his debut as an opener in the first Test of the two-match series against West Indies. The highly anticipated match is set to begin on July 12.
Jaiswal, a 21-year-old left-hander, has garnered attention with his remarkable performances in the domestic circuit across various formats, including an impressive season in the Indian Premier League. He was also the Player of the Tournament at the 2020 U19 Cricket World Cup.
Although Jaiswal has played only 15 first-class matches, he boasts an impressive average of over 80 with nine centuries to his name and a highest score of 265.
Addressing the pre-match press conference, Rohit Sharma revealed that Shubman Gill will move down to the No. 3 position to fill the spot left by Cheteshwar Pujara, who was not included in the squad for this tour.
"Gill will play at No. 3 because he himself wants to play in that position. He discussed with Rahul (Dravid) that I have played all my cricket at 3 and 4. I think I can do better for my team if I bat at number 3. And it is good for us too because it becomes an opening combination of left and right," stated Rohit on the eve of the first Test.
He further expressed his hopes for Jaiswal, saying, "So I think we will try to do this and hopefully this will go on for a long time. Because we have been looking for a left-hander for many years. So now that we have got that left-hander, let's hope he performs well for the team. And he (Jaiswal) can really make that spot his own."
Rohit also confirmed that India will play two spinners in the first Test, although he did not disclose the names. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin are expected to secure the spots, with Axar Patel serving as the other spinner in the squad.
Both India and West Indies face significant challenges as they enter this Test series. India will be playing their first Test after their World Test Championship Final loss against Australia, while West Indies are still reeling from their unexpected elimination from the ODI World Cup Qualifiers.
With the beginning of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, both teams will be eager to prove themselves and set the tone for the rest of the championship.