‘Indian Cricket Desperately Needed a Left-hander’: Rohit Sharma reveals how crucial Yashasvi Jaiswal is going to be for Team India

Youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal are thrilled to be a part of the Indian team’s Test squad since, in the words of captain Rohit Sharma, they “desperately needed a left-hander.”

Rishabh Pant, a dynamic left-hander for the Indian squad, has been recovering from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident in December. However, they have two more excellent left-handers to rely on in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, though both bat later in the batting order.

‘Indian Cricket Desperately Needed a Left-hander’: Rohit Sharma Hopes Yashasvi Jaiswal Will Live up to The Promise

Jaiswal, a top-order batsman, will open alongside Rohit in the first Test against the West Indies, which gets underway today in Dominica.

“There are a couple of guys who have missed out. Unfortunately, you can pick only 15-16 players in the squad. But everyone’s time will come. That is what I want to say,” Rohit told reporters on Tuesday.

“Indian cricket desperately needed a left-hander and we found a very good player in Jaiswal. He looks very promising. So is Ruturaj and Gill. Gill has obviously been playing good cricket for a year now and hope he continues his good form,” he added.

Indian captain reveals: Shubman Gill to come in at No.3

The Test team for India has up to four hitters who can open, including Rohit, Shubman Gill, Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

“Ruturaj has got all the potential to be successful in red-ball cricket. He has shown us in T20 cricket what he can do. It’s time for him, I’m sure he’s also looking forward to getting more runs for Indian team. It’s quite exciting when you have guys like these coming into the squad. It’s good for the Indian team,” Rohit said.

Gaikwad will have to wait since Jaiswal has been selected to open, but Gill, who has previously opened for India in Test matches, has now been given his preferred batting position—No. 3—instead of Gaikwad.

“As far as batting positions are concerned, Gill will bat at No. 3 as He wanted to bat at the spot. He had discussion with Rahul bhai that he has played all his cricket at No. 3 and No. 4 and can contribute better for the team from No. 3. For us, it’s also better since we get left-right combo. This is what we are trying and hopefully, this becomes a long-term thing as we have been desperate for a left-hander. Let’s hope he performs really well and makes that spot his own,” Rohit said.

Also read: WI vs IND 1st Test Preview: West Indies vs India 2023, Playing XI, Live Streaming Details & Updates

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