Indian Cricket Board took a brave decision to pick Yashavsi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Test team for the West Indies tour, the issue of where the southpaw will bat if selected remains.
With Cheteshwar Pujara ruled out of the Test team, Indian Cricket Board selectors want Jaiswal to bat at number three. Shubman Gill will almost certainly continue to open alongside Rohit Sharma.
While Jaiswal has primarily played as an opener for Mumbai in First-Class cricket, the southpaw will bat at number three, according to Indian Express. With Gill doing admirably as an opener in all formats, Jaiswal has no choice but to bat third.
Here are some of the 3 players that can make a impact in the series and be the contenders to be the player of the match for India in the Test series:
3. Mukesh Kumar
The promising medium pacer from Bengal has been a regular performer for his state team and has now been given the opportunity to make his national debut in the forthcoming India Tour of West Indies. He has established himself as Bengal’s bowling attack’s captain. He has 149 red-ball wickets at an average of 21.55, including six five-wicket hauls, and also holds a strong red-ball record.
Mukesh was impressive during the 2019/20 Ranji Trophy season, taking 32 wickets in 10 matches. His highlight came in the semi-final against Karnataka, when he grabbed a critical six-wicket haul.
He made his India A debut last September for the unofficial Tests against New Zealand A. He emerged as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the series.
2. Ajinkya Rahane
Rahane had been out of the Indian squad for about 16 months, but after a stellar performance in the the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the bat and as well in the Ranji Trophy. The former Indian Captain won a Test call from selectors for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final game after over 1.5 years.
He was the highest run-scorer for India in the WTC 2023 finals, and he was also the highest run-scorer for his team in the WTC final in 2021. Now he has been re-appointed as the vice-captain of the Indian Test team for the West Indies tour.
His reappointment as team vice-captain elicited conflicting comments on social media, with some referring to him as the next replacement for Rohit, who has come under scrutiny following the 209-run defeat against Australia in the WTC final.
1. Shubman Gill
Shubhman Gill has enjoyed a great run in international as well as domestic cricket across formats. While there is no doubt over Gill’s skill, the stylish right-handed batter has yet to showcase his potential as an opener at Test level, with an average of 32.89 and two hundreds from 16 Tests.
If selectors believe Jaiswal or Gaikwad are long-term opening prospects, they may choose to drop Gill to No.3 as a stopgap measure until the new breed has established themselves in the team. He will look to turn around things in the traditional format of the game. He is one of the contenders to win the man of the match in Test against West Indies.