Ashish Ranjan
India will commence the 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with a two-match Test series against the West Indies, beginning on July 12 in Dominica.
Numerous young features Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mukesh Kumar have been named to India’s Test squad, while Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammed Shami have been left out. Shami has been rested in order to regulate his workload, whereas Pujara was benched due to his recent lackluster play.
In Pujara’s absence, either Gaikwad or Jaiswal could assume the No. 3 position. According to reports, the left-handed Jaiswal will presumably take the field first. Ajinkya Rahane, who made a memorable return to the Test side in the WTC final, has been named vice-captain. Recently, he lavished praise on Jaiswal and offered the young man unique advice.
I am overjoyed for Jaiswal, who has labored so diligently: Ajinkya Rahane
“I am so happy for Jaiswal because he has worked so diligently and scored runs for Mumbai in domestic and IPL cricket. He is an intriguing talent, and his batting is admirable. Rahane stated at the pre-match press conference, “My message to him is to express himself while batting, play freely, and not think too much about the fact that he is playing international cricket.”
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Jaiswal has only played 15 first-class matches, but that is sufficient to demonstrate his aptitude. In 15 contests, he has scored 1845 runs at an average of 80.21. In 26 at-bats, the Mumbai batsman has scored nine centuries and a couple of half-centuries, demonstrating an outstanding conversion rate. Once he was positioned at the crease, Pujara could play lengthy innings. Jaiswal’s ability to convert fifties into hundreds may make him a strong candidate for the No. 3 position.
