WI vs IND 2023: Yashasvi Jaiswal set for Test debut as Rohit Sharma confirms new opening partner

With the Indian team gearing up for their upcoming project against the West Indies, skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal’s inclusion in the playing order. After a terrific domestic season and an impressive outing at the Indian Premier League, Jaiswal deservedly received his India call-up as he was named in the Test and T20I squad for the Caribbean tour.

While there also are other uncapped players like Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Mukesh Kumar in the squad, Jaiswal has received a nod as he will be eager to don the whites when the two sides square off at Windsor Park in Dominica on July 12, Wednesday, for the first Test of the two-match series. Ahead of the game, the Indian captain revealed that he will have a new opening partner. 

21-year-old Jaiswal will be opening India’s batting alongside the team’s captain, while Shubman Gill, who had been doing a tremendous job as an opener, will take the No. 3 spot which fell vacant after Cheteshwar Pujara’s exclusion. Since Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane are India’s fixed middle-order batters, Gill put his hand up to take up a new role in the top order.

“Gill will play at number 3 because Gill himself wants to play at number 3. 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,” Rohit was quoted as saying by the ICC.

“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 can really make that spot his own,” he added.

Rohit also said that the team combination will have two spinners, but did not name them. With three spinners a part of the squad, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin are likely to feature in the XI ahead of Axar Patel.