Yashasvi Jaiswal is cut for great things in life. The young left-handed batter made a stunning debut against West Indies in the first Test in Dominica, hitting 171 in the first innings - the third-highest individual total scored by an Indian debutant in Tests.

Yashasvi Jaiswal is cut for great things in life. The young left-handed batter made a stunning debut against West Indies in the first Test in Dominica, hitting 171 in the first innings - the third-highest individual total scored by an Indian debutant in Tests. Captain Rohit Sharma, who, 10 years back, scored a brilliant 177 against the same side on his Test debut in Kolkata, lauded Jaiswal, adding he was most impressed with his temperament and ability to stick with the plans and deliver. Jaiswal opened alongside Rohit, and the pair stitched a 229-run stand for the first wicket. While he remained unbeaten on 143 after playing 350 balls – batting throughout day two, Jaiswal could add just 28 runs more before getting out to Alzarri Joseph for a well-made 171 early on day three. He played 387 balls and lasted 501 minutes at the crease – the longest by an Indian on Test debut. He also earned the Player of the Match award for his outstanding outing. ALSO READ: Ravichandran Ashwin's 12-wicket haul hands India record win over West Indies in first Test, Jaiswal named POTM The game, however, ended inside day three, thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin’s 12-wicket haul that saw India beat West Indies by an innings and 141 runs. Speaking to the media after the Test, Rohit talked highly of Jaiswal, saying he and the team management knew about his credentials and that the young batter has shown what he can achieve on the bigger stage. "He's got the talent," Rohit said of Jaiswal. "We knew about it. He's shown us in the past couple of years that he's ready for this big stage. Came and batted sensibly, showed a lot of patience, and the temperament was tested as well - at no stage [did it look] like he was panicking or going away from his plans, which was good to see." Results speak for themselves – Rohit on star spin duo Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared 17 wickets among them in the first Test, and Rohit didn’t have anything else to say about them than just showering praises. "The results speak for themselves," Rohit said of the two spinners. "Both of these guys have been doing it for a while for us now. They know exactly what is expected out of them. There's not much to tell them [about] what we need to do. It's just about going to them and giving them that freedom to go and express because that is when they're doing their best for the side as well.” The second Test will begin on July 20th at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WI vs IND 2023: 'He showed patience, temperament, stuck to his plans': Rohit lauds debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal

Ravichandran Ashwin's seven-wicket second innings demolition job underlined his utter dominance of an inept West Indies team who crashed to defeat by an innings and 141 runs late on the third day of the first Test against India in Dominica on Friday. It was India's largest margin of victory in a Test match in the West Indies. India maintains an unbeaten run spanning more than 21 years against the Carrebean&nbsp;opponents going into the second and final Test starting next Thursday in Trinidad.

After Rohit Sharma declared the tourists' first innings at 421 for five, 40 minutes into the afternoon session, first day destroyers Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja wasted little time in adding to that first innings success to skittle the Caribbean team for 130 in just over 50 overs.

Ashwin fittingly ended the match by trapping last man Jomel Warrican leg-before.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ruturaj-gaikwad-to-lead-team-india-in-hangzhou-asian-games-rinku-singh-included-615788">Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead Team India in Hangzhou Asian Games; Rinku Singh included</a>

His second innings' haul of 7-71 lifted his match figures to 12 -131 -– his eighth match haul of 10 wickets or more in Tests -- while the support of Jadeja kept relentless pressure on a home side technically and temperamentally incapable of coping with such quality spin bowling on a helpful pitch.

Debutant Alick Athanaze was again the top scorer with 28 but his effort paled in comparison to his Indian counterpart as opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal led the way in India's only innings with a determined, dedicated innings of 171 which spanned more than eight hours and consumed&nbsp;387 deliveries.

That effort earned him the player of the match award notwithstanding the fantastic bowling figures of Ashwin.

"This experience has been a special moment," said the 21-year-old left-hander. "I used to think about playing for my country when I was young. It is an emotional moment for me but this just the start."

<h2>- 'Let ourselves down' -</h2>

For West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the emotions were the exact opposite on a forgettable day personally and for his team.

"I didn't think it spun a lot early on, we just let ourselves down with the bat," said the opener, a comment which immediately raised a few eyebrows given how the pitch behaved virtually from the first session. &nbsp;"Senior guys, starting with myself, have to lead the way. We have to use the bat more instead of our pads."

As on day one, Brathwaite and opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul had to cope with spin just minutes into the start of the second innings and although he was dropped on nought, Ashwin eventually put him out of his misery. He had missed a straightforward chance at short extra-cover in the morning offered by Virat Kohli off left-arm spinner Warrican.

Dropped at 40, Kohli went on to score 76 before falling to Rahkeem Cornwall just after lunch. The burly off-spinner was only allowed to bowl after the morning period because of time spent off the field on the first day when he was unwell.

Earlier, West Indies finally prised out Jaiswal and added the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane pre-lunch.

Jaiswal was finally undone by the extra pace and bounce extracted by fast bowler Alzarri Joseph in edging a catch to wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva after an hour's play.

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Ravichandran Ashwin's seven-wicket second innings demolition job underlined his utter dominance of an inept West Indies team who crashed to defeat by an innings and 141 runs late on the third day of the first Test against India in Dominica on Friday.

Ravichandran Ashwin's seven-wicket second innings demolition job underlined his utter dominance of an inept West Indies team who crashed to defeat by an innings and 141 runs late on the third day of the first Test against India in Dominica on Friday. It was India's largest margin of victory in a Test match in the West Indies. India maintains an unbeaten run spanning more than 21 years against the Carrebean opponents going into the second and final Test starting next Thursday in Trinidad. After Rohit Sharma declared the tourists' first innings at 421 for five, 40 minutes into the afternoon session, first day destroyers Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja wasted little time in adding to that first innings success to skittle the Caribbean team for 130 in just over 50 overs. Ashwin fittingly ended the match by trapping last man Jomel Warrican leg-before. ALSO READ: Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead Team India in Hangzhou Asian Games; Rinku Singh included His second innings' haul of 7-71 lifted his match figures to 12 -131 -– his eighth match haul of 10 wickets or more in Tests -- while the support of Jadeja kept relentless pressure on a home side technically and temperamentally incapable of coping with such quality spin bowling on a helpful pitch. Debutant Alick Athanaze was again the top scorer with 28 but his effort paled in comparison to his Indian counterpart as opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal led the way in India's only innings with a determined, dedicated innings of 171 which spanned more than eight hours and consumed 387 deliveries. That effort earned him the player of the match award notwithstanding the fantastic bowling figures of Ashwin. "This experience has been a special moment," said the 21-year-old left-hander. "I used to think about playing for my country when I was young. It is an emotional moment for me but this just the start." - 'Let ourselves down' - For West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the emotions were the exact opposite on a forgettable day personally and for his team. "I didn't think it spun a lot early on, we just let ourselves down with the bat," said the opener, a comment which immediately raised a few eyebrows given how the pitch behaved virtually from the first session. "Senior guys, starting with myself, have to lead the way. We have to use the bat more instead of our pads." As on day one, Brathwaite and opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul had to cope with spin just minutes into the start of the second innings and although he was dropped on nought, Ashwin eventually put him out of his misery. He had missed a straightforward chance at short extra-cover in the morning offered by Virat Kohli off left-arm spinner Warrican. Dropped at 40, Kohli went on to score 76 before falling to Rahkeem Cornwall just after lunch. The burly off-spinner was only allowed to bowl after the morning period because of time spent off the field on the first day when he was unwell. Earlier, West Indies finally prised out Jaiswal and added the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane pre-lunch. Jaiswal was finally undone by the extra pace and bounce extracted by fast bowler Alzarri Joseph in edging a catch to wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva after an hour's play. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Ravichandran Ashwin's 12-wicket haul hands India record win over West Indies in first Test, Jaiswal named POTM

On Thursday (July 13), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian to score a century on his Test debut. With India resuming Day 2 of the first Test versus a hapless West Indies in Dominica at 80 for no loss in response to the Windies' paltry 150, Jaiswal continued his merry run and achieved the rare feat in style during a mammoth opening stand with captain Rohit Sharma.&nbsp;

Jaiswal went to stumps on the opening day at 40 not out and gave a glimpse of what was in store. He began with a lot of confidence on Day One and continued to display his immense talent throughout. Jaiswal's knock showcased his strong mental strength as well as the ability to stitch a long and patient innings.

By reaching the three-figure mark on his first Test, Jaiswal has now become only the 17th Indian, and 113th overall, to kick off his red-ball career with a ton. Among&nbsp;Indians, the list includes several big names such as Lala Amarnath, GR Viswanath, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, etc.

The last Indian to slam a hundred on Test debut was Shreyas Iyer, who achieved the feat during India's home Tests versus New Zealand in the 2021-23 WTC cycle.

RECORDS GALORE FOR JAISWAL

Youngest centurions on Test debut for India 
 
18y 329d - Prithvi Shaw vs WI, Rajkot, 2018 
20y 126d - Abbas Ali Baig vs ENG, Old Trafford, 1959 
20y 276d - Gundappa Viswanath vs AUS, Kanpur, 1969 
21y 196d - Yashasvi Jaiswal vs WI, Roseau, 2023 
21y 327d - Mohammad Azharuddin vs ENG, Kolkata, 1984

Indians&nbsp;with hundreds on Test debut vs West Indies 
 
177 - Rohit Sharma, Kolkata, 2013 
134 - Prithvi Shaw, Rajkot, 2018 
100* - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Roseau, 2023

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-ind-yashasvi-jaiswal-will-former-aussie-cricketers-bold-claim-on-indian-openers-test-career-615096">WI vs IND: 'Yashasvi Jaiswal will...' - Former Aussie cricketer makes BOLD claim on Indian star's Test career</a>

Jaiswal has already stitched a 200-run plus opening stand along with skipper Rohit, who is also nearing a ton. Meanwhile, Rohit also attained a mammoth feat before his young opening partner entered triple digits. The hitman became only the second batsman after Virat Kohli to complete 3,500 runs in all forms of the game. He was 63 shy from reaching 3,500 Test runs and reached the milestone without dropping much sweat.

Talking about the game, Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies are on the mat. After opting to bat, they managed only 150 -- courtesy of R Ashwin's five-for -- whereas they have struggled to take wickets with India eyeing a mammoth first-innings lead in the Dominica Test.

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On Thursday (July 13), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian to score a century on his Test debut. With India resuming Day 2 of the first Test versus a hapless West Indies in Dominica at 80 for no loss in response to the Windies' paltry 150, Jaiswal continued his merry run and achieved the rare feat in style during a mammoth opening stand with captain Rohit Sharma.

On Thursday (July 13), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian to score a century on his Test debut. With India resuming Day 2 of the first Test versus a hapless West Indies in Dominica at 80 for no loss in response to the Windies' paltry 150, Jaiswal continued his merry run and achieved the rare feat in style during a mammoth opening stand with captain Rohit Sharma. Jaiswal went to stumps on the opening day at 40 not out and gave a glimpse of what was in store. He began with a lot of confidence on Day One and continued to display his immense talent throughout. Jaiswal's knock showcased his strong mental strength as well as the ability to stitch a long and patient innings. By reaching the three-figure mark on his first Test, Jaiswal has now become only the 17th Indian, and 113th overall, to kick off his red-ball career with a ton. Among Indians, the list includes several big names such as Lala Amarnath, GR Viswanath, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, etc. The last Indian to slam a hundred on Test debut was Shreyas Iyer, who achieved the feat during India's home Tests versus New Zealand in the 2021-23 WTC cycle. RECORDS GALORE FOR JAISWAL Youngest centurions on Test debut for India 18y 329d - Prithvi Shaw vs WI, Rajkot, 2018 20y 126d - Abbas Ali Baig vs ENG, Old Trafford, 1959 20y 276d - Gundappa Viswanath vs AUS, Kanpur, 1969 21y 196d - Yashasvi Jaiswal vs WI, Roseau, 2023 21y 327d - Mohammad Azharuddin vs ENG, Kolkata, 1984 Indians with hundreds on Test debut vs West Indies 177 - Rohit Sharma, Kolkata, 2013 134 - Prithvi Shaw, Rajkot, 2018 100* - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Roseau, 2023 Also Read: WI vs IND: 'Yashasvi Jaiswal will...' - Former Aussie cricketer makes BOLD claim on Indian star's Test career Jaiswal has already stitched a 200-run plus opening stand along with skipper Rohit, who is also nearing a ton. Meanwhile, Rohit also attained a mammoth feat before his young opening partner entered triple digits. The hitman became only the second batsman after Virat Kohli to complete 3,500 runs in all forms of the game. He was 63 shy from reaching 3,500 Test runs and reached the milestone without dropping much sweat. Talking about the game, Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies are on the mat. After opting to bat, they managed only 150 -- courtesy of R Ashwin's five-for -- whereas they have struggled to take wickets with India eyeing a mammoth first-innings lead in the Dominica Test. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WI vs IND: Yashasvi Jaiswal enters record books, becomes 17th Indian to score a century on Test debut

On Thursday (July 14), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian, 113rd player overall, to slam a hundred on Test debut. Jaiswal got to the remarkable feat during Day Two of the first Test, in Dominica, between India and West Indies. The left-hander began his innings with a lot of promise and while he was cautious on Day Two, he never looked out of sorts and reached the triple-figure mark without dropping much sweat.&nbsp;

After Jaiswal entered the record books during Day Two's proceedings in Dominica, wishes have been pouring in for him from all corners. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also joined in and congratulated the 21-year-old left-hander. He tweeted, "A यशस्वी&nbsp;start to your Test career, @ybj_19! Well done. And a splendid century by @ImRo45." It is to be noted that&nbsp;Yashasvi means successful. Check out the former batter's post:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A यशस्वी start to your Test career, <a href="https://twitter.com/ybj_19?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ybj_19</a>! Well done.👏🏼 
And a splendid century by <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/o2g4vdwkMN">pic.twitter.com/o2g4vdwkMN</a>
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1679576163155574785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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RECORDS GALORE FOR YOUNG JAISWAL

Youngest centurions on Test debut for India 
 
18y 329d - Prithvi Shaw vs WI, Rajkot, 2018 
20y 126d - Abbas Ali Baig vs ENG, Old Trafford, 1959 
20y 276d - Gundappa Viswanath vs AUS, Kanpur, 1969 
21y 196d - Yashasvi Jaiswal vs WI, Roseau, 2023 
21y 327d - Mohammad Azharuddin vs ENG, Kolkata, 1984

Indias&nbsp;with hundreds on Test debut vs West Indies 
 
177 - Rohit Sharma, Kolkata, 2013 
134 - Prithvi Shaw, Rajkot, 2018 
100* - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Roseau, 2023

Speaking to the media after Day Two, Jaiswal said, "I've just gone out to express myself, thankful for everyone; this is just a start, and I want to do well going further," Jaiswal said after the second day’s play. "I think this is one of the emotional knock for me, was just proud of myself, it's difficult to get opportunities in the Indian team, I would like to thank everyone, the supporters, team management and Rohit Bhai."

Talking about the two-match Test series opener, India are well placed at 312 for 2, leading by 162 runs with Jaiswal unbeaten on 143 whereas Virat Kohli is batting on 36.

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On Thursday (July 14), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian, 113rd player overall, to slam a hundred on Test debut. Jaiswal got to the remarkable feat during Day Two of the first Test, in Dominica, between India and West Indies.

On Thursday (July 14), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian, 113rd player overall, to slam a hundred on Test debut. Jaiswal got to the remarkable feat during Day Two of the first Test, in Dominica, between India and West Indies. The left-hander began his innings with a lot of promise and while he was cautious on Day Two, he never looked out of sorts and reached the triple-figure mark without dropping much sweat. After Jaiswal entered the record books during Day Two's proceedings in Dominica, wishes have been pouring in for him from all corners. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also joined in and congratulated the 21-year-old left-hander. He tweeted, "A यशस्वी start to your Test career, @ybj_19! Well done. And a splendid century by @ImRo45." It is to be noted that Yashasvi means successful. Check out the former batter's post: A यशस्वी start to your Test career, @ybj_19! Well done.👏🏼 And a splendid century by @ImRo45.#WIvIND pic.twitter.com/o2g4vdwkMN — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 13, 2023 × Also Read: WI vs IND: Yashasvi Jaiswal enters record books, becomes 17th Indian to score a century on Test debut RECORDS GALORE FOR YOUNG JAISWAL Youngest centurions on Test debut for India 18y 329d - Prithvi Shaw vs WI, Rajkot, 2018 20y 126d - Abbas Ali Baig vs ENG, Old Trafford, 1959 20y 276d - Gundappa Viswanath vs AUS, Kanpur, 1969 21y 196d - Yashasvi Jaiswal vs WI, Roseau, 2023 21y 327d - Mohammad Azharuddin vs ENG, Kolkata, 1984 Indias with hundreds on Test debut vs West Indies 177 - Rohit Sharma, Kolkata, 2013 134 - Prithvi Shaw, Rajkot, 2018 100* - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Roseau, 2023 Speaking to the media after Day Two, Jaiswal said, "I've just gone out to express myself, thankful for everyone; this is just a start, and I want to do well going further," Jaiswal said after the second day’s play. "I think this is one of the emotional knock for me, was just proud of myself, it's difficult to get opportunities in the Indian team, I would like to thank everyone, the supporters, team management and Rohit Bhai." Talking about the two-match Test series opener, India are well placed at 312 for 2, leading by 162 runs with Jaiswal unbeaten on 143 whereas Virat Kohli is batting on 36. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WI vs IND: 'Well done' - Sachin Tendulkar heaps praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal for scoring century on Test debut

On Thursday (July 14), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian, 113th player overall, to slam a hundred on Test debut. Jaiswal got to the remarkable feat during Day Two of the first Test, in Dominica, between India and West Indies. The left-hander began his innings with a lot of promise and while he was cautious on Day Two, he never looked out of sorts and reached the triple-figure mark without dropping much sweat.&nbsp;

After Jaiswal entered the record books during Day Two's proceedings in Dominica, wishes have been pouring in for him from all corners. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also joined in and congratulated the 21-year-old left-hander. He tweeted, "A यशस्वी&nbsp;start to your Test career, @ybj_19! Well done. And a splendid century by @ImRo45." It is to be noted that&nbsp;Yashasvi means successful. Check out the former batter's post:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A यशस्वी start to your Test career, <a href="https://twitter.com/ybj_19?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ybj_19</a>! Well done.👏🏼 
And a splendid century by <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/o2g4vdwkMN">pic.twitter.com/o2g4vdwkMN</a>
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1679576163155574785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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RECORDS GALORE FOR YOUNG JAISWAL

Youngest centurions on Test debut for India 
 
18y 329d - Prithvi Shaw vs WI, Rajkot, 2018 
20y 126d - Abbas Ali Baig vs ENG, Old Trafford, 1959 
20y 276d - Gundappa Viswanath vs AUS, Kanpur, 1969 
21y 196d - Yashasvi Jaiswal vs WI, Roseau, 2023 
21y 327d - Mohammad Azharuddin vs ENG, Kolkata, 1984

Indias&nbsp;with hundreds on Test debut vs West Indies 
 
177 - Rohit Sharma, Kolkata, 2013 
134 - Prithvi Shaw, Rajkot, 2018 
100* - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Roseau, 2023

Speaking to the media after Day Two, Jaiswal said, "I've just gone out to express myself, thankful for everyone; this is just a start, and I want to do well going further," Jaiswal said after the second day’s play. "I think this is one of the emotional knock for me, was just proud of myself, it's difficult to get opportunities in the Indian team, I would like to thank everyone, the supporters, team management and Rohit Bhai."

Talking about the two-match Test series opener, India are well placed at 312 for 2, leading by 162 runs with Jaiswal unbeaten on 143 whereas Virat Kohli is batting on 36.

On Thursday (July 14), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian, 113th player overall, to slam a hundred on Test debut. Jaiswal got to the remarkable feat during Day Two of the first Test, in Dominica, between India and West Indies.

On Thursday (July 14), Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became only the 17th Indian, 113th player overall, to slam a hundred on Test debut. Jaiswal got to the remarkable feat during Day Two of the first Test, in Dominica, between India and West Indies. The left-hander began his innings with a lot of promise and while he was cautious on Day Two, he never looked out of sorts and reached the triple-figure mark without dropping much sweat. After Jaiswal entered the record books during Day Two's proceedings in Dominica, wishes have been pouring in for him from all corners. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also joined in and congratulated the 21-year-old left-hander. He tweeted, "A यशस्वी start to your Test career, @ybj_19! Well done. And a splendid century by @ImRo45." It is to be noted that Yashasvi means successful. Check out the former batter's post: A यशस्वी start to your Test career, @ybj_19! Well done.👏🏼 And a splendid century by @ImRo45.#WIvIND pic.twitter.com/o2g4vdwkMN — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 13, 2023 × RECORDS GALORE FOR YOUNG JAISWAL Youngest centurions on Test debut for India 18y 329d - Prithvi Shaw vs WI, Rajkot, 2018 20y 126d - Abbas Ali Baig vs ENG, Old Trafford, 1959 20y 276d - Gundappa Viswanath vs AUS, Kanpur, 1969 21y 196d - Yashasvi Jaiswal vs WI, Roseau, 2023 21y 327d - Mohammad Azharuddin vs ENG, Kolkata, 1984 Indias with hundreds on Test debut vs West Indies 177 - Rohit Sharma, Kolkata, 2013 134 - Prithvi Shaw, Rajkot, 2018 100* - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Roseau, 2023 Speaking to the media after Day Two, Jaiswal said, "I've just gone out to express myself, thankful for everyone; this is just a start, and I want to do well going further," Jaiswal said after the second day’s play. "I think this is one of the emotional knock for me, was just proud of myself, it's difficult to get opportunities in the Indian team, I would like to thank everyone, the supporters, team management and Rohit Bhai." Talking about the two-match Test series opener, India are well placed at 312 for 2, leading by 162 runs with Jaiswal unbeaten on 143 whereas Virat Kohli is batting on 36.

WI vs IND: 'Well done' - Tendulkar heaps praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal for scoring century on Test debut

On Thursday (July 13), Virat Kohli achieved another milestone in his illustrious career. Coming out to bat after Indian captain Rohit Sharma departed for 103 on Day Two of the first Test versus West Indies, in Dominica, Kohli remained unbeaten on 36 as India strengthened their position to reach 312 for 2 in response to the Windies' 150. During his stay in the middle, Kohli attained another historic milestone as he surpassed former opener Virender Sehwag to become the fifth-highest run-getter for Team India in the red-ball format.

The list is spearheaded by Sachin Tendulkar, who ended his career with 15,921 runs in Test cricket. Rahul Dravid, known as The Wall, comes second. The current Indian head coach scored&nbsp;13,265 runs whereas Little Master Sunil Gavaskar returned with&nbsp;10,122 runs. VVS Laxman remains at the fourth spot with&nbsp;8,781 runs whereas Kohli's tally now reads&nbsp;8,515 runs, leaving behind Sehwag (who ended with a spectacular 8,503 runs for India). It is to be noted that Sehwag's overall tally reads 8,586 runs, however, 83 of them came for World XI versus Australia.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-ind-well-done-tendulkar-heaps-praise-on-yashasvi-jaiswal-for-scoring-century-on-test-debut-615428">WI vs IND: 'Well done' - Tendulkar heaps praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal for scoring century on Test debut</a>

India's top five run-getters in Tests

1) Sachin Tendulkar - 15,921

2) Rahul Dravid - 13,265

3) Sunil Gavaskar - 10,122

4) VVS Laxman - 8,781

5) Virat Kohli - 8,515

Talking about the first Test, India are in a commanding position after stumps on Day Two in Dominica. In response to Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies' 150, India are 312 for 2 courtesy of openers Rohit (103) and Yashasvi Jaiswal's unbeaten 143.&nbsp;

Kohli will aim for a big hundred -- which will be his maiden overseas ton since late 2018 -- to take India's lead beyond the 250-run mark on the third day's play on Friday (July 14). His next target would be to overtake Laxman's run-tally (8,781). At 34, Kohli continues to go strong in the red-ball format, averaging nearly 50 in over 100 Tests (110th currently).&nbsp;

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On Thursday (July 13), Virat Kohli achieved another milestone in his illustrious career. Coming out to bat after Indian captain Rohit Sharma departed for 103 on Day Two of the first Test versus West Indies, in Dominica, Kohli remained unbeaten on 36 as India strengthened their position to reach 312 for 2 in response to the Windies' 150.

On Thursday (July 13), Virat Kohli achieved another milestone in his illustrious career. Coming out to bat after Indian captain Rohit Sharma departed for 103 on Day Two of the first Test versus West Indies, in Dominica, Kohli remained unbeaten on 36 as India strengthened their position to reach 312 for 2 in response to the Windies' 150. During his stay in the middle, Kohli attained another historic milestone as he surpassed former opener Virender Sehwag to become the fifth-highest run-getter for Team India in the red-ball format. The list is spearheaded by Sachin Tendulkar, who ended his career with 15,921 runs in Test cricket. Rahul Dravid, known as The Wall, comes second. The current Indian head coach scored 13,265 runs whereas Little Master Sunil Gavaskar returned with 10,122 runs. VVS Laxman remains at the fourth spot with 8,781 runs whereas Kohli's tally now reads 8,515 runs, leaving behind Sehwag (who ended with a spectacular 8,503 runs for India). It is to be noted that Sehwag's overall tally reads 8,586 runs, however, 83 of them came for World XI versus Australia. Also Read: WI vs IND: 'Well done' - Tendulkar heaps praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal for scoring century on Test debut India's top five run-getters in Tests 1) Sachin Tendulkar - 15,921 2) Rahul Dravid - 13,265 3) Sunil Gavaskar - 10,122 4) VVS Laxman - 8,781 5) Virat Kohli - 8,515 Talking about the first Test, India are in a commanding position after stumps on Day Two in Dominica. In response to Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies' 150, India are 312 for 2 courtesy of openers Rohit (103) and Yashasvi Jaiswal's unbeaten 143. Kohli will aim for a big hundred -- which will be his maiden overseas ton since late 2018 -- to take India's lead beyond the 250-run mark on the third day's play on Friday (July 14). His next target would be to overtake Laxman's run-tally (8,781). At 34, Kohli continues to go strong in the red-ball format, averaging nearly 50 in over 100 Tests (110th currently). WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WI vs IND: Virat Kohli surpasses Virender Sehwag to become India's fifth-highest run-scorer in Tests

Rohit Sharma-led India&nbsp;kicked off their tour of West Indies on Wednesday (July 12) on Day One of the first Test. The&nbsp;day's play was headlined by R Ashwin's five-wicket haul, 5 for 60, as the Windies were bundled out for 150 -- opting to bat first -- before Rohit (30 not out) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (unbeaten 40) took India to 80 for no loss.

Ahead of the two-match Test series opener, Rohit addressed the pre-match presser and revealed India's batting order. He confirmed that Shubman Gill -- who has been opening for India across formats -- will be batting at No. 3, a request he himself came up with prior to the Dominica Test.

Former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra opened up on Gill's request and admitted 'neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury' but feels the move might work for Team India.

<h2>'You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to...'</h2>

Chopra said on his official YouTube channel, "Shubman Gill told team management that he wanted to play at no.3. It's a very interesting thing, because you don't usually hear such things happening in Indian cricket. You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to bat in a particular position. Neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury. But the good thing is Yashasvi Jaiswal can now open."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/did-we-make-a-mistake-aakash-chopra-on-team-indias-decision-to-drop-ravichandran-ashwin-from-wtc-final-stst-615032">Aakash Chopra on Team India’s decision to drop Ashwin from WTC final</a>

He opined, "But in Test cricket, if there's one difficult job, it's that of opener. Especially away from home. No. 3 is still a challenging spot, but no. 4 is the most settled spot and you usually keep your best batter in that spot. You don't want him to bat with the tail.

“Shubman at no.3, I'm not surprised. I tweeted in 2020 that he would play long for India but in few years time, you would see him batting in the middle. Now, he has himself expressed that wish,” Chopra added.

Thus, Gill is replacing Cheteshwar Pujara at the No. 3 spot after the latter was dropped for the WI series following a streak of ordinary performances in the 2021-23 WTC cycle.

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Rohit Sharma-led India kicked off their tour of West Indies on Wednesday (July 12) on Day One of the first Test. The day's play was headlined by R Ashwin's five-wicket haul, 5 for 60, as the Windies were bundled out for 150 -- opting to bat first -- before Rohit (30 not out) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (unbeaten 40) took India to 80 for no loss.

Rohit Sharma-led India kicked off their tour of West Indies on Wednesday (July 12) on Day One of the first Test. The day's play was headlined by R Ashwin's five-wicket haul, 5 for 60, as the Windies were bundled out for 150 -- opting to bat first -- before Rohit (30 not out) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (unbeaten 40) took India to 80 for no loss. Ahead of the two-match Test series opener, Rohit addressed the pre-match presser and revealed India's batting order. He confirmed that Shubman Gill -- who has been opening for India across formats -- will be batting at No. 3, a request he himself came up with prior to the Dominica Test. Former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra opened up on Gill's request and admitted 'neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury' but feels the move might work for Team India. 'You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to...' Chopra said on his official YouTube channel, "Shubman Gill told team management that he wanted to play at no.3. It's a very interesting thing, because you don't usually hear such things happening in Indian cricket. You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to bat in a particular position. Neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury. But the good thing is Yashasvi Jaiswal can now open." Also Read: Aakash Chopra on Team India’s decision to drop Ashwin from WTC final He opined, "But in Test cricket, if there's one difficult job, it's that of opener. Especially away from home. No. 3 is still a challenging spot, but no. 4 is the most settled spot and you usually keep your best batter in that spot. You don't want him to bat with the tail. “Shubman at no.3, I'm not surprised. I tweeted in 2020 that he would play long for India but in few years time, you would see him batting in the middle. Now, he has himself expressed that wish,” Chopra added. Thus, Gill is replacing Cheteshwar Pujara at the No. 3 spot after the latter was dropped for the WI series following a streak of ordinary performances in the 2021-23 WTC cycle. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Neither does anyone make such demand, nor...': Ex-India opener on Shubman Gill asking to bat at No. 3

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar revealed that the current crop of Indian batters have not approached him for inputs in order to rectify their mistakes. Gavaskar, also known as the Little Master, mentioned that yesteryear superstars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman used to approach him during their playing days, however, the same is not the case in current times.

Gavaskar told&nbsp;The Indian Express,&nbsp;"If the batters are making the same mistakes over and over again, you need to ask what has happened with your technique. How have you tried to improve the batter? Have you tried to tell him, maybe take a different guard? Don't take a leg-stump guard, take a middle and off-stump guard."

Recalling how he came to former Indian opener Virender Sehwag's aid, Gavaskar stated, "I remember once calling Virender Sehwag out of the blue. He had not been scoring too many runs. I told him, 'Viru, just try the off-stump guard'. So he asked, 'Why, Sunny bhai?' So I told him, 'Look, you aren't known for great footwork. What is happening is, sometimes when you are getting out, you are reaching out for the delivery and it makes things difficult for you. So, maybe if you take the off-stump guard, you straight away know that the ball is outside the off-stump. That is where the coach can come in with his inputs."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-wi-virat-kohlis-overseas-test-century-drought-might-end-in-west-indies-feels-ex-indian-opener-614668">IND vs WI: Virat Kohli's overseas Test century drought might end in West Indies, feels ex-Indian opener</a>

The cricketer-turned-commentator further revealed why he has kept himself away from approaching the current players.

He added, "No, no one has come. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman regularly came to me. And they would approach me with a specific problem and you could tell them something which you had observed. I don't have an ego about this, I could go and talk to them but since there are two coaches — Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathore – so sometimes you hold back since you don’t want to confuse them with too much information."

In current times, not many instances have come up where current Indian batters have revealed to have spoken to former cricketers from the country. With the presence of stalwart Dravid as India's head coach and a designated batting coach in Vikram Rathour, Indian batters mostly rely on their guidance to work on their batting.

Despite all this,&nbsp;the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, etc have not been in the best of form of late.

Thus, a lot of questions have been raised about the Indian batters' ability to apply themselves&nbsp;for a long period and not repeat their mistakes.

Thus, they are expected to return to their usual best in India's two-match Test series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island, which kicks off on Wednesday (July 12) in Dominica.

The series commences India's campaign in the 2023-25 WTC cycle.

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Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar revealed that the current crop of Indian batters have not approached him for inputs in order to rectify their mistakes. Gavaskar, also known as the Little Master, mentioned that yesteryear superstars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman used to approach him during their playing days, however, the same is not the case in current times.

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar revealed that the current crop of Indian batters have not approached him for inputs in order to rectify their mistakes. Gavaskar, also known as the Little Master, mentioned that yesteryear superstars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman used to approach him during their playing days, however, the same is not the case in current times. Gavaskar told The Indian Express, "If the batters are making the same mistakes over and over again, you need to ask what has happened with your technique. How have you tried to improve the batter? Have you tried to tell him, maybe take a different guard? Don't take a leg-stump guard, take a middle and off-stump guard." Recalling how he came to former Indian opener Virender Sehwag's aid, Gavaskar stated, "I remember once calling Virender Sehwag out of the blue. He had not been scoring too many runs. I told him, 'Viru, just try the off-stump guard'. So he asked, 'Why, Sunny bhai?' So I told him, 'Look, you aren't known for great footwork. What is happening is, sometimes when you are getting out, you are reaching out for the delivery and it makes things difficult for you. So, maybe if you take the off-stump guard, you straight away know that the ball is outside the off-stump. That is where the coach can come in with his inputs." Also Read: IND vs WI: Virat Kohli's overseas Test century drought might end in West Indies, feels ex-Indian opener The cricketer-turned-commentator further revealed why he has kept himself away from approaching the current players. He added, "No, no one has come. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman regularly came to me. And they would approach me with a specific problem and you could tell them something which you had observed. I don't have an ego about this, I could go and talk to them but since there are two coaches — Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathore – so sometimes you hold back since you don’t want to confuse them with too much information." In current times, not many instances have come up where current Indian batters have revealed to have spoken to former cricketers from the country. With the presence of stalwart Dravid as India's head coach and a designated batting coach in Vikram Rathour, Indian batters mostly rely on their guidance to work on their batting. Despite all this, the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, etc have not been in the best of form of late. Thus, a lot of questions have been raised about the Indian batters' ability to apply themselves for a long period and not repeat their mistakes. Thus, they are expected to return to their usual best in India's two-match Test series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island, which kicks off on Wednesday (July 12) in Dominica. The series commences India's campaign in the 2023-25 WTC cycle. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Dravid, Sachin...'- Gavaskar on current batters not approaching him, reveals why he has restricted himself

Rohit Sharma-led India will begin their campaign in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle with the two-match Test series versus West Indies&nbsp;in the Caribbean island. The series will see India's young players -- such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, etc. -- take centre stage and try to cement their spots. It will also give Virat Kohli, former Indian skipper, a chance to break his five-year-long overseas Test century drought.

Kohli's last ton outside the subcontinent came in late 2018 during India's tour of Australia, where they won their maiden Test series on Australian soil. In fact, he scored his first-ever century in the format since 2019 during this year's Border-Gavaskar Trophy, versus the Baggy Greens, at home. Thus, all eyes will be on the 34-year-old to break his overseas century drought in whites during the Windies Tests.&nbsp;

Ahead of the two-match Test&nbsp;series opener, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra predicted that Kohli will break his overseas century drought in the upcoming Tests versus West Indies. Speaking on his YouTube channel,&nbsp;the former cricketer said, "It is a very interesting thing that Virat Kohli has not scored an overseas Test century for five years - the last time it came was in 2018 after that an overseas Test century hasn't come. So that wait might end in this series."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-wi-1st-test-shubman-gill-will-play-at-no-3-rohit-sharma-reveals-indias-batting-set-up-614517">IND vs WI 1st Test: Shubman Gill will play at No. 3 - Rohit Sharma reveals India's batting set-up</a>

However, Chopra pointed out, "If you see otherwise, his numbers are good against all teams, but the West Indies and England are the two teams and places where his numbers are slightly lower based on his standards, they are very good based on other people's standards. So the focus will be on Virat Kohli."

Since his Test debut in 2011 in the West Indies, Kohli has made a plethora of runs in the format (8,479). In the Caribbean island, he has managed 463 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.62, including a best of 200.

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Rohit Sharma-led India will begin their campaign in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle with the two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island.

Rohit Sharma-led India will begin their campaign in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle with the two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island. The series will see India's young players -- such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, etc. -- take centre stage and try to cement their spots. It will also give Virat Kohli, former Indian skipper, a chance to break his five-year-long overseas Test century drought. Kohli's last ton outside the subcontinent came in late 2018 during India's tour of Australia, where they won their maiden Test series on Australian soil. In fact, he scored his first-ever century in the format since 2019 during this year's Border-Gavaskar Trophy, versus the Baggy Greens, at home. Thus, all eyes will be on the 34-year-old to break his overseas century drought in whites during the Windies Tests. Ahead of the two-match Test series opener, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra predicted that Kohli will break his overseas century drought in the upcoming Tests versus West Indies. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former cricketer said, "It is a very interesting thing that Virat Kohli has not scored an overseas Test century for five years - the last time it came was in 2018 after that an overseas Test century hasn't come. So that wait might end in this series." Also Read: IND vs WI 1st Test: Shubman Gill will play at No. 3 - Rohit Sharma reveals India's batting set-up However, Chopra pointed out, "If you see otherwise, his numbers are good against all teams, but the West Indies and England are the two teams and places where his numbers are slightly lower based on his standards, they are very good based on other people's standards. So the focus will be on Virat Kohli." Since his Test debut in 2011 in the West Indies, Kohli has made a plethora of runs in the format (8,479). In the Caribbean island, he has managed 463 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.62, including a best of 200. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

IND vs WI: Virat Kohli's overseas Test century drought might end in West Indies, feels ex-Indian opener

India are set to kick off their campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle with the two-match Test series versus West Indies. The home side will host Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. in the first Test, at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica, on July 12 as India look set to start a new era in red-ball format with the additions of many youngsters in the line-up. When the Test squad for the WI series was announced, Cheteshwar Pujara's name was missing as many believe he has been made the scapegoat for India's WTC final loss versus Australia, at The Oval, London, last month.

Pujara averaged 32 in the 2021-23 WTC cycle and has only scored one ton since early 2019. The right-hander's numbers have been dismal, to say the least, but the likes of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have also not performed as per expectations for quite some time. Thus, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh opined on Pujara's omission and feels he has been India's 'unsung hero' for a long time and deserves more respect.

<h2>Pujara has been doing the dirty work of hanging in there'</h2>

"I have a lot of respect for Chesteshwar Pujara for what he has achieved. He has been an unsung hero of the Indian team for many years now. He has been one of those pillars of strength for India, doing the dirty work of hanging in there, making sure other batters got their comfort," Harbhajan told news agency&nbsp;PTI.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-can-be-an-option-for-test-captaincy-if-india-look-beyond-rohit-sharma-former-chief-selector-613947">Virat Kohli can be an option for Test captaincy if India look beyond Rohit Sharma: Former chief selector</a>

Bhajji asserted, "I believe he needs to be given a bit more respect than what he has been given and the way he was chucked out of the team was a surprise for me. Because he isn't the only one not scoring runs. There are others as well who play in that same team who are scoring runs at same average."

Harbhajan also pointed out that a lot of talk has been around Pujara's strike-rate in Tests, but he feels he has also held up one end firmly with his defensive approach. "In case of Pujara, we keep hearing about his strike-rate of scoring runs in Tests but because of that strike-rate, the wickets remain intact and that's a huge contribution. So you have to see which guy is contributing what. You need to see how much the team needs him. In my opinion, the team still needs him. When you go abroad (SENA countries), you need one such batter as you can't have everyone playing strokes all the time. You need someone who plays normal Test cricket, just like Chesteshwar Pujara," he added.

Pujara recently scored a ton in the 2023 Duleep Trophy semi-final for West Zone. He has been replaced by the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad for the WI series, however, if he scores a bulk of runs in the domestic circuit, he might still make a comeback in the Indian team.

In 103 Tests, Pujara has&nbsp;7195 runs along with 19 tons and 35 half-centuries at an average of&nbsp;43.60, including a best of 206.

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India are set to kick off their campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle with the two-match Test series versus West Indies. The home side will host Rohit Sharma & Co.

India are set to kick off their campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle with the two-match Test series versus West Indies. The home side will host Rohit Sharma & Co. in the first Test, at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica, on July 12 as India look set to start a new era in red-ball format with the additions of many youngsters in the line-up. When the Test squad for the WI series was announced, Cheteshwar Pujara's name was missing as many believe he has been made the scapegoat for India's WTC final loss versus Australia, at The Oval, London, last month. Pujara averaged 32 in the 2021-23 WTC cycle and has only scored one ton since early 2019. The right-hander's numbers have been dismal, to say the least, but the likes of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have also not performed as per expectations for quite some time. Thus, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh opined on Pujara's omission and feels he has been India's 'unsung hero' for a long time and deserves more respect. Pujara has been doing the dirty work of hanging in there' "I have a lot of respect for Chesteshwar Pujara for what he has achieved. He has been an unsung hero of the Indian team for many years now. He has been one of those pillars of strength for India, doing the dirty work of hanging in there, making sure other batters got their comfort," Harbhajan told news agency PTI. Also Read: Virat Kohli can be an option for Test captaincy if India look beyond Rohit Sharma: Former chief selector Bhajji asserted, "I believe he needs to be given a bit more respect than what he has been given and the way he was chucked out of the team was a surprise for me. Because he isn't the only one not scoring runs. There are others as well who play in that same team who are scoring runs at same average." Harbhajan also pointed out that a lot of talk has been around Pujara's strike-rate in Tests, but he feels he has also held up one end firmly with his defensive approach. "In case of Pujara, we keep hearing about his strike-rate of scoring runs in Tests but because of that strike-rate, the wickets remain intact and that's a huge contribution. So you have to see which guy is contributing what. You need to see how much the team needs him. In my opinion, the team still needs him. When you go abroad (SENA countries), you need one such batter as you can't have everyone playing strokes all the time. You need someone who plays normal Test cricket, just like Chesteshwar Pujara," he added. Pujara recently scored a ton in the 2023 Duleep Trophy semi-final for West Zone. He has been replaced by the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad for the WI series, however, if he scores a bulk of runs in the domestic circuit, he might still make a comeback in the Indian team. In 103 Tests, Pujara has 7195 runs along with 19 tons and 35 half-centuries at an average of 43.60, including a best of 206. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'He has been Team India's unsung hero': Harbhajan praises senior batter ahead of West Indies Tests

India are set to kick off their campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle on Wednesday (July 12) when they take on hosts West Indies in the two-match series opener in Dominica. After a loss in the WTC final last month, India have inducted some young players in the line-up, with the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, etc making it to the squad.&nbsp;While many were happy with India's Test squad for the Windies tour, former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar wasn't impressed.&nbsp;

Gavaskar feels India should have added more youngsters in the mix and could have given rest to their main players against the eighth-ranked West Indies line-up. Thus, ahead of the series opener, the Little Master has taken an indirect dig at 'main guys' captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and the likes. The Indian legend feels the Windies series was an ideal time for India to test its bench strength but&nbsp;since they have persisted with their regulars, they won't gain anything significant and it will also hamper their transition process.

<h2>'The truth is the main guys do not want to go early'</h2>

Gavaskar, who turned 74&nbsp;on Monday (July 10), told the Indian Express, "What kind of preparation are we talking about? Now they have gone to the West Indies. You have the example of the World Test Championship before you. Are you playing any matches? So what is this talk about 20-25 days? When you talk about preparation, be genuine about it. Go 15 days before, play two warm-up matches. The main guys can rest, but the fringe players might be actually challenging those who are not doing well. He does not get an opportunity to show that he is good enough."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2023-theyve-to-play-him-nasser-hussain-explains-why-australia-need-david-warner-in-manchester-test-614207">Ashes 2023: 'They've to play him' - Nasser Hussain explains why Australia need David Warner in Manchester Test</a>

He added, "The truth is the main guys do not want to go early. Because they know that come what may, they will get selected. And when you go early, they will talk about the workload. You call yourself the fittest team in the world or fitter than the early generations then how do you break down so soon? How do you have a workload issue when you play a 20-over game?"

India's tour of West Indies comprises two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. Rohit and Kohli will be part of the ODI squad as well but the duo will continue to remain out of the T20I squad for the Windies tour as well.&nbsp;

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India are set to kick off their campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle on Wednesday (July 12) when they take on hosts West Indies in the two-match series opener in Dominica.

India are set to kick off their campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle on Wednesday (July 12) when they take on hosts West Indies in the two-match series opener in Dominica. After a loss in the WTC final last month, India have inducted some young players in the line-up, with the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, etc making it to the squad. While many were happy with India's Test squad for the Windies tour, former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar wasn't impressed. Gavaskar feels India should have added more youngsters in the mix and could have given rest to their main players against the eighth-ranked West Indies line-up. Thus, ahead of the series opener, the Little Master has taken an indirect dig at 'main guys' captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and the likes. The Indian legend feels the Windies series was an ideal time for India to test its bench strength but since they have persisted with their regulars, they won't gain anything significant and it will also hamper their transition process. 'The truth is the main guys do not want to go early' Gavaskar, who turned 74 on Monday (July 10), told the Indian Express, "What kind of preparation are we talking about? Now they have gone to the West Indies. You have the example of the World Test Championship before you. Are you playing any matches? So what is this talk about 20-25 days? When you talk about preparation, be genuine about it. Go 15 days before, play two warm-up matches. The main guys can rest, but the fringe players might be actually challenging those who are not doing well. He does not get an opportunity to show that he is good enough." Also Read: Ashes 2023: 'They've to play him' - Nasser Hussain explains why Australia need David Warner in Manchester Test He added, "The truth is the main guys do not want to go early. Because they know that come what may, they will get selected. And when you go early, they will talk about the workload. You call yourself the fittest team in the world or fitter than the early generations then how do you break down so soon? How do you have a workload issue when you play a 20-over game?" India's tour of West Indies comprises two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. Rohit and Kohli will be part of the ODI squad as well but the duo will continue to remain out of the T20I squad for the Windies tour as well. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Main guys know they'll get selected...': Gavaskar takes an indirect dig at Rohit, Kohli ahead of WI Tests

Australia’s former cricketer Brad Hogg, who has been associated with Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians, has heaped praises on Tilak Varma. The 20-year-old Mumbai Indians star is all set to make his maiden international debut on the West Indies tour. The young batter earned a maiden call-up after his stellar 2023 Indian Premier League season. He scored 343 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 164.11. Along with Tilak Varma, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been given the maiden call-up.

<h2>Brad Hogg on Tilak Varma</h2>

Some young cricketers have been included in the squad for the five-match T20I series against West Indies. Amid the net practice session, former Australian spinner Brad Hogg said that he was really impressed with Tilak Varma. “I spent a bit of time with MI just before IPL 2023 and I just loved the way he studied opposition bowlers.” Hogg also said that Tilak Varma is “a man for every situation” and can bat anywhere in the middle order.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-west-indies-rohit-sharma-turns-reporter-for-ajinkya-rahane-bcci-press-conference-stst-614224">IND vs WI: Rohit Sharma turns reporter for Ajinkya Rahane; watch</a>

<h2>Brad Hogg’s India playing XI against West Indies</h2>

Bard Hogg feels youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav should be the top-order batters for the India vs West Indies T20 series. "Subhman Gill and Jaiswal both have high strike rates and they love facing fast bowlers. They really take the game on in the powerplay. I personally think Sanju Samson really stabilizes the innings at No. 3. There is not a single bowler that fazes Suryakumar Yadav, so he should come in at No. 4," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.

India squad for IND vs WI T20: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2023-sunil-gavaskar-slams-overseas-commentators-for-indian-crowds-reference-heres-what-he-said-stst-614199">Sunil Gavaskar slams overseas commentators for singling out Indian fans</a>

<h2>India vs West Indies</h2>

India vs West Indies T20I series will kickstart on August 3. As senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have been rested for the T20 series, Hardik Pandya will lead Men In Blue. Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as his deputy. 
&nbsp;

Australia’s former cricketer Brad Hogg, who has been associated with Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians, has heaped praises on Tilak Varma. The 20-year-old Mumbai Indians star is all set to make his maiden international debut on the West Indies tour.

Australia’s former cricketer Brad Hogg, who has been associated with Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians, has heaped praises on Tilak Varma. The 20-year-old Mumbai Indians star is all set to make his maiden international debut on the West Indies tour. The young batter earned a maiden call-up after his stellar 2023 Indian Premier League season. He scored 343 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 164.11. Along with Tilak Varma, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been given the maiden call-up. Brad Hogg on Tilak Varma Some young cricketers have been included in the squad for the five-match T20I series against West Indies. Amid the net practice session, former Australian spinner Brad Hogg said that he was really impressed with Tilak Varma. “I spent a bit of time with MI just before IPL 2023 and I just loved the way he studied opposition bowlers.” Hogg also said that Tilak Varma is “a man for every situation” and can bat anywhere in the middle order. Also read: IND vs WI: Rohit Sharma turns reporter for Ajinkya Rahane; watch Brad Hogg’s India playing XI against West Indies Bard Hogg feels youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav should be the top-order batters for the India vs West Indies T20 series. "Subhman Gill and Jaiswal both have high strike rates and they love facing fast bowlers. They really take the game on in the powerplay. I personally think Sanju Samson really stabilizes the innings at No. 3. There is not a single bowler that fazes Suryakumar Yadav, so he should come in at No. 4," Hogg said on his YouTube channel. India squad for IND vs WI T20: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar. Also read: Sunil Gavaskar slams overseas commentators for singling out Indian fans India vs West Indies India vs West Indies T20I series will kickstart on August 3. As senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have been rested for the T20 series, Hardik Pandya will lead Men In Blue. Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as his deputy.

IND vs WI: Brad Hogg praises Tilak Varma ahead of his international debut

Ahead of India's upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies&nbsp;in the Caribbean island, former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad feels Virat Kohli can be a Test captaincy option if the selectors are thinking to move beyond Rohit Sharma. After Kohli resigned as the red-ball captain in early 2022, Rohit became the full-time skipper.

Since Rohit took over, India whitewashed Sri Lanka at home and won the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy&nbsp;2-1&nbsp;versus Australia at home before the Baggy Greens&nbsp;defeated them in the WTC final last month at The Oval, London. After the WTC summit clash, many raised fingers at Rohit's captaincy in the format. Ahead of the WI tour, there were talks of Rohit being removed as the Test captain. However, he retained the post whereas Ajinkya Rahane - who made a comeback in the WTC finale after more than a year -&nbsp;regained the vice-captaincy post.

Thus, Prasad feels if the selectors are not convinced with Rohit as the Test captain, they can ask Kohli to take over once again. It is to be noted that Kohli is India's most successful Test skipper, with 40 wins in 68 games. The ex-chief selector cited Rahane's example and stated that if the Mumbaikar can come back and be reappointed as the vice-captain, why can't Kohli lead India as well?

<h2>'When Ajinkya Rahane can&nbsp;become the vice-captain, then why not Virat Kohli?'</h2>

Speaking to Khel Now, Prasad said, "Why not Virat Kohli? When Ajinkya Rahane can come back and become the vice-captain, then why not Virat Kohli? I don’t know what the mindset of Virat is on captaincy. In case selectors are thinking beyond Rohit, I don’t know whether they are thinking but if they are thinking beyond Rohit, then I think Virat can also be an option."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/people-are-going-overboard-harbhajan-singh-backs-under-fire-captain-rohit-sharma-ahead-of-wi-tour-613905">People are going overboard: Harbhajan Singh backs under-fire captain Rohit Sharma ahead of WI tour</a>

Prasad also spoke about the other prospects who can take over from Rohit. Among the younger lot, Rishabh Pant is a potential candidate but he is out of action following his horrific car accident in December 2022. Speaking about Pant, Prasad pointed out that while he can be an option, the keeper-batter first needs to return and resume from where he left off before being given additional responsibilities.

Prasad added, "Let him come back. See what Rishabh Pant has done no other wicketkeeper-batsman in the history of Indian Cricket has done. Because no wicketkeeper has got runs and centuries in Australia South Africa and England in the Indian Cricket history. Let him come back, let him start getting back on the field."

Pant has&nbsp;2,271 runs in 33 Tests, along with five centuries, along with 133 dismissals.&nbsp;

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Ahead of India's upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island, former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad feels Virat Kohli can be a Test captaincy option if the selectors are thinking to move beyond Rohit Sharma.

Ahead of India's upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island, former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad feels Virat Kohli can be a Test captaincy option if the selectors are thinking to move beyond Rohit Sharma. After Kohli resigned as the red-ball captain in early 2022, Rohit became the full-time skipper. Since Rohit took over, India whitewashed Sri Lanka at home and won the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 versus Australia at home before the Baggy Greens defeated them in the WTC final last month at The Oval, London. After the WTC summit clash, many raised fingers at Rohit's captaincy in the format. Ahead of the WI tour, there were talks of Rohit being removed as the Test captain. However, he retained the post whereas Ajinkya Rahane - who made a comeback in the WTC finale after more than a year - regained the vice-captaincy post. Thus, Prasad feels if the selectors are not convinced with Rohit as the Test captain, they can ask Kohli to take over once again. It is to be noted that Kohli is India's most successful Test skipper, with 40 wins in 68 games. The ex-chief selector cited Rahane's example and stated that if the Mumbaikar can come back and be reappointed as the vice-captain, why can't Kohli lead India as well? 'When Ajinkya Rahane can become the vice-captain, then why not Virat Kohli?' Speaking to Khel Now, Prasad said, "Why not Virat Kohli? When Ajinkya Rahane can come back and become the vice-captain, then why not Virat Kohli? I don’t know what the mindset of Virat is on captaincy. In case selectors are thinking beyond Rohit, I don’t know whether they are thinking but if they are thinking beyond Rohit, then I think Virat can also be an option." Also Read: People are going overboard: Harbhajan Singh backs under-fire captain Rohit Sharma ahead of WI tour Prasad also spoke about the other prospects who can take over from Rohit. Among the younger lot, Rishabh Pant is a potential candidate but he is out of action following his horrific car accident in December 2022. Speaking about Pant, Prasad pointed out that while he can be an option, the keeper-batter first needs to return and resume from where he left off before being given additional responsibilities. Prasad added, "Let him come back. See what Rishabh Pant has done no other wicketkeeper-batsman in the history of Indian Cricket has done. Because no wicketkeeper has got runs and centuries in Australia South Africa and England in the Indian Cricket history. Let him come back, let him start getting back on the field." Pant has 2,271 runs in 33 Tests, along with five centuries, along with 133 dismissals. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Virat Kohli can be an option for Test captaincy if India look beyond Rohit Sharma: Former chief selector

On Wednesday (July 05), the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee picked a 15-man squad for India's five-match T20I series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island. The five T20Is will get underway on August 03 as Hardik Pandya will lead a young side. The squad features several young talents who rose to the occasion in IPL 2023 as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, and Mukesh Kumar were inducted, whereas the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Sanju Samson have returned.

Although many have raised concerns over the omission of Rinku Singh and Rahul Tripathi, the likes of Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw and Jitesh Sharma also could not find a place. Moreover, senior pros such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have continued to remain absent from the T20I squad as it seems certain that selectors have entrusted Hardik Pandya to lead the side in the shortest format for the future. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reviewed the squad on his YouTube channel and feels that Hardik is being considered to lead India in next year's T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA.

"Hardik Pandya, who had been given the captaincy after the T20 World Cup - it seems like that's now the final fixture, that Hardik Pandya will lead the Indian T20 team for times to come, which means until the upcoming World Cup," Aakash Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/yashasvi-jaiswal-tilak-varma-get-maiden-t20i-call-as-india-announce-squad-for-west-indies-tour-612400">Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma get maiden T20I call as India announce squad for West Indies tour</a>

"I feel they had already moved in that direction and it is still the same, nothing has changed. None of the seniors have been picked. KL Rahul is unavailable but now it is extended that you have not played Rohit and Kohli since the World Cup," Chopra added.

India's five-match T20I series versus the two-time champions West Indies will kick off on August 03 and conclude on August 13. Soon after, Hardik &amp; Co. will also feature in three T20Is versus Ireland, in Dublin, before the focus shifts entirely to the 2023 ODI World Cup at home.

India's T20I squad for WI series:&nbsp;Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (vice-captain), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (captain), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar.

On Wednesday (July 05), the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee picked a 15-man squad for India's five-match T20I series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island.

On Wednesday (July 05), the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee picked a 15-man squad for India's five-match T20I series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island. The five T20Is will get underway on August 03 as Hardik Pandya will lead a young side. The squad features several young talents who rose to the occasion in IPL 2023 as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, and Mukesh Kumar were inducted, whereas the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Sanju Samson have returned. Although many have raised concerns over the omission of Rinku Singh and Rahul Tripathi, the likes of Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw and Jitesh Sharma also could not find a place. Moreover, senior pros such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have continued to remain absent from the T20I squad as it seems certain that selectors have entrusted Hardik Pandya to lead the side in the shortest format for the future. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reviewed the squad on his YouTube channel and feels that Hardik is being considered to lead India in next year's T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. "Hardik Pandya, who had been given the captaincy after the T20 World Cup - it seems like that's now the final fixture, that Hardik Pandya will lead the Indian T20 team for times to come, which means until the upcoming World Cup," Aakash Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel. Also Read: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma get maiden T20I call as India announce squad for West Indies tour "I feel they had already moved in that direction and it is still the same, nothing has changed. None of the seniors have been picked. KL Rahul is unavailable but now it is extended that you have not played Rohit and Kohli since the World Cup," Chopra added. India's five-match T20I series versus the two-time champions West Indies will kick off on August 03 and conclude on August 13. Soon after, Hardik & Co. will also feature in three T20Is versus Ireland, in Dublin, before the focus shifts entirely to the 2023 ODI World Cup at home. India's T20I squad for WI series: Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (vice-captain), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (captain), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar.

Feels like Hardik Pandya will lead Team India in 2024 T20 World Cup as well, says former Indian opener

On June 23, the BCCI selectors named a 16-man squad for Team India's upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island, which commences on July 12. After Rohit Sharma-led India's humiliating loss in the WTC final to Australia, some tough decisions were expected to be taken as the axe was certainly going to fall on some senior players.

Thus, Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped as the selectors chose to&nbsp;include&nbsp;plenty of youngsters, such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, etc. Recently, former Indian player WV Raman opened up on Pujara's omission and feels he wasn't treated properly by the BCCI selection committee.&nbsp;

Talking to former Indian opener Aakash Chopra on his Youtube channel, Raman said, "The problem is that they have picked four possible openers, and they have dropped Pujara, which is another bone of contention. A cricketer like Pujara has done a lot for Indian cricket, and he has been instrumental for India winning both at home and abroad on quite a few occasions."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/was-india-underprepared-for-wtc-final-after-ipl-2023-sourav-ganguly-disagrees-with-the-theory-610581">Was India underprepared for WTC final after IPL 2023? Sourav Ganguly disagrees with the 'theory'</a>

Raman -- the former Indian women's team coach -- further opined, "He is a gritty customer. He was even elevated to vice-captaincy quite recently but a failure in the WTC final, he finds that he is left out in the cold. I think this is one decision that has not gone down well with many people, and I, personally, as well, I am not for it."

"He deserves to be treated properly. In the event, if they think it's the end of Pujara, he could have been given a better exit, but that's how things happen sometimes, and this is not the first case again. There are a lot of precedences as far as this kind of treatment is concerned," Raman added.

Pujara, a veteran of 103 Tests, has 7,195&nbsp;runs in the red-ball format. The right-hander has not been at his best in the recently-concluded 2021-23 WTC cycle and his poor returns in the WTC final, where he managed 14 and 27, led to his ouster, with youngsters such as Ruturaj, Ishan Kishan, Jaiswal breathing down his neck.&nbsp;It will be interesting to see if Pujara manages to make a comeback to India's Test line-up.

India's squad for WI Tests:

Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin,&nbsp;R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.

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On June 23, the BCCI selectors named a 16-man squad for Team India's upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island, which commences on July 12.

On June 23, the BCCI selectors named a 16-man squad for Team India's upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island, which commences on July 12. After Rohit Sharma-led India's humiliating loss in the WTC final to Australia, some tough decisions were expected to be taken as the axe was certainly going to fall on some senior players. Thus, Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped as the selectors chose to include plenty of youngsters, such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, etc. Recently, former Indian player WV Raman opened up on Pujara's omission and feels he wasn't treated properly by the BCCI selection committee. Talking to former Indian opener Aakash Chopra on his Youtube channel, Raman said, "The problem is that they have picked four possible openers, and they have dropped Pujara, which is another bone of contention. A cricketer like Pujara has done a lot for Indian cricket, and he has been instrumental for India winning both at home and abroad on quite a few occasions." Also Read: Was India underprepared for WTC final after IPL 2023? Sourav Ganguly disagrees with the 'theory' Raman -- the former Indian women's team coach -- further opined, "He is a gritty customer. He was even elevated to vice-captaincy quite recently but a failure in the WTC final, he finds that he is left out in the cold. I think this is one decision that has not gone down well with many people, and I, personally, as well, I am not for it." "He deserves to be treated properly. In the event, if they think it's the end of Pujara, he could have been given a better exit, but that's how things happen sometimes, and this is not the first case again. There are a lot of precedences as far as this kind of treatment is concerned," Raman added. Pujara, a veteran of 103 Tests, has 7,195 runs in the red-ball format. The right-hander has not been at his best in the recently-concluded 2021-23 WTC cycle and his poor returns in the WTC final, where he managed 14 and 27, led to his ouster, with youngsters such as Ruturaj, Ishan Kishan, Jaiswal breathing down his neck. It will be interesting to see if Pujara manages to make a comeback to India's Test line-up. India's squad for WI Tests: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

'If BCCI selectors think it's the end of him...': Former India player on Pujara's omission from WI Tests

On June 23, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Team India's 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies to be held&nbsp;in the Caribbean island. The Test series commences on July 12 as India will kick off their campaign in the third WTC cycle after ending second in 2019-2021 and 2021-23. While Rohit Sharma retained captaincy in the red-ball format, Ajinkya Rahane was promoted as vice-captain.&nbsp;

Rahane was India's Test vice-captain for a long time during Virat Kohli's captaincy. He lost the post in late 2021 and his place&nbsp;after a series of poor performances&nbsp;in early 2022 before making a comeback into the Indian team ahead of the 2021-23 WTC final versus Australia. Returning with an impressive 89 and 46 in the WTC summit clash, where India lost to Australia by 209 runs at The Oval, London, Rahane regained the vice-captaincy post for the West Indies tour. It is believed that injuries to Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant also led to Rahane regaining the vice-captaincy.&nbsp;

Many former cricketers reacted to Rahane once again becoming the vice-captain and slammed the move. While some believe it was an ideal chance to groom Shubman Gill, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly feels Ravindra Jadeja was the ideal candidate.&nbsp;

<h2>'There is Ravindra Jadeja, who has been there for a long time and a certainty in Test matches'</h2>

"I won't say it's a step backwards. You have been out for 18 months, then you play a Test and you become a vice-captain. I don't understand the thought process behind it. There is Ravindra Jadeja, who has been there for a long time and a certainty in Test matches, he is a candidate." "....but to just come back and straightway become vice-captain after 18 months, I don't understand. My only thing is that selection shouldn't be hot and cold. There has to be continuity and consistency in selection," said Ganguly while talking to PTI.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-seemed-possessed-r-ashwin-recalls-indias-last-over-win-vs-pakistan-in-2022-t20-wc-610129">Virat Kohli seemed possessed: R Ashwin recalls India's last-over win vs Pakistan in 2022 T20 WC</a>

Talking about the Test squad, the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Ruturaj Gaikwad have been included, whereas Cheteshwar Pujara has been dropped after a poor run in the previous WTC cycle, including low returns in the finale.&nbsp;

India's Test squad for West Indies tour:

Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.

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On June 23, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Team India's 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies to be held in the Caribbean island.

On June 23, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Team India's 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies to be held in the Caribbean island. The Test series commences on July 12 as India will kick off their campaign in the third WTC cycle after ending second in 2019-2021 and 2021-23. While Rohit Sharma retained captaincy in the red-ball format, Ajinkya Rahane was promoted as vice-captain. Rahane was India's Test vice-captain for a long time during Virat Kohli's captaincy. He lost the post in late 2021 and his place after a series of poor performances in early 2022 before making a comeback into the Indian team ahead of the 2021-23 WTC final versus Australia. Returning with an impressive 89 and 46 in the WTC summit clash, where India lost to Australia by 209 runs at The Oval, London, Rahane regained the vice-captaincy post for the West Indies tour. It is believed that injuries to Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant also led to Rahane regaining the vice-captaincy. Many former cricketers reacted to Rahane once again becoming the vice-captain and slammed the move. While some believe it was an ideal chance to groom Shubman Gill, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly feels Ravindra Jadeja was the ideal candidate. 'There is Ravindra Jadeja, who has been there for a long time and a certainty in Test matches' "I won't say it's a step backwards. You have been out for 18 months, then you play a Test and you become a vice-captain. I don't understand the thought process behind it. There is Ravindra Jadeja, who has been there for a long time and a certainty in Test matches, he is a candidate." "....but to just come back and straightway become vice-captain after 18 months, I don't understand. My only thing is that selection shouldn't be hot and cold. There has to be continuity and consistency in selection," said Ganguly while talking to PTI. Also Read: Virat Kohli seemed possessed: R Ashwin recalls India's last-over win vs Pakistan in 2022 T20 WC Talking about the Test squad, the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Ruturaj Gaikwad have been included, whereas Cheteshwar Pujara has been dropped after a poor run in the previous WTC cycle, including low returns in the finale. India's Test squad for West Indies tour: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

'Don't understand...': Ganguly on Rahane's promotion as Test vice-captain, suggests ideal candidate

On Friday (June 23), the BCCI selection committee named India's squads&nbsp;for their two-match Test series and three ODIs versus West Indies as the tour commences next month in the Caribbean. Rohit Sharma retained captaincy of the 16-man Test squad, despite criticism after India's WTC final loss, whereas Ajinkya Rahane regained the vice-captaincy post.

Rahane served as Virat Kohli's deputy in whites for a long time and even led the team with aplomb in his absence before losing the post in late 2021. Soon, he even lost his spot before making his comeback during the WTC finale versus Australia early this month, where he returned with a sublime 89 and 46. With injuries to Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, Rahane once again got the vice-captaincy back and Little Master Sunil Gavaskar reacted to the same.

Gavaskar said there is 'nothing wrong' in Rahane regaining vice-captaincy but feels there was an opportunity lost to name a youngster as Rohit's deputy for the Windies tour. Talking to Sports Today, he said, "There is nothing wrong in having him [Ajinkya Rahane] as the vice-captain, but a missed opportunity to groom a young player. At least, tell a young player that we are looking at you as a future captain. So, he starts to think as a future leader."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2023-james-anderson-nathan-lyon-throw-ceremonial-pitches-during-mlb-london-game-watch-608671">Ashes 2023: James Anderson, Nathan Lyon throw ceremonial pitches during MLB London game - WATCH</a>

<h2>'One is Shubman Gill and the other is....'</h2>

Further, Gavaskar named three youngsters who can lead India in whites going forward. "One is Shubman Gill and the other is Axar Patel [as future captains] because Axar comes in leaps and bounds, he just gets better every match. Giving him the responsibility as vice-captain will make them think. So, these are the two candidates in my view. If there are others, somebody like Ishan Kishan, once he cements his place in the team. He can come in the reckoning as well," the veteran added.

India's tour of West Indies kicks off on July 12, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is.

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On Friday (June 23), the BCCI selection committee named India's squads for their two-match Test series and three ODIs versus West Indies as the tour commences next month in the Caribbean.

On Friday (June 23), the BCCI selection committee named India's squads for their two-match Test series and three ODIs versus West Indies as the tour commences next month in the Caribbean. Rohit Sharma retained captaincy of the 16-man Test squad, despite criticism after India's WTC final loss, whereas Ajinkya Rahane regained the vice-captaincy post. Rahane served as Virat Kohli's deputy in whites for a long time and even led the team with aplomb in his absence before losing the post in late 2021. Soon, he even lost his spot before making his comeback during the WTC finale versus Australia early this month, where he returned with a sublime 89 and 46. With injuries to Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, Rahane once again got the vice-captaincy back and Little Master Sunil Gavaskar reacted to the same. Gavaskar said there is 'nothing wrong' in Rahane regaining vice-captaincy but feels there was an opportunity lost to name a youngster as Rohit's deputy for the Windies tour. Talking to Sports Today, he said, "There is nothing wrong in having him [Ajinkya Rahane] as the vice-captain, but a missed opportunity to groom a young player. At least, tell a young player that we are looking at you as a future captain. So, he starts to think as a future leader." Also Read: Ashes 2023: James Anderson, Nathan Lyon throw ceremonial pitches during MLB London game - WATCH 'One is Shubman Gill and the other is....' Further, Gavaskar named three youngsters who can lead India in whites going forward. "One is Shubman Gill and the other is Axar Patel [as future captains] because Axar comes in leaps and bounds, he just gets better every match. Giving him the responsibility as vice-captain will make them think. So, these are the two candidates in my view. If there are others, somebody like Ishan Kishan, once he cements his place in the team. He can come in the reckoning as well," the veteran added. India's tour of West Indies kicks off on July 12, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Gavaskar opines on Rahane regaining vice-captaincy, suggests three names as India's next Test skipper

India selectors recently announced the squad for upcoming tour of West Indies and the decisions taken by them have caused a lot of furor. The team selection has been seen as another missed opportunity for giving more youngsters a chance and one of those names is Sarfaraz Khan. The batsman, who plays for Mumbai in first class cricket, has been piling runs for nearly four seasons but has been overlooked once again.

Reacting to yet another chance not given, Sarfaraz, in what seemed like a tongue in cheek&nbsp;reply to the news, posted a video highlight of himself on his Instagram handle. The social media story starts with by showing Khan's first class numbers before he's seen playing some shots. Have a look at the story here:
<img alt="screengrab from Sarfaraz's Instagram story" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b3d7cb1a-4d80-4845-b14d-39824e7f9e29" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/SafKhan.JPG" />
Talking about his career, Sarfaraz made his debut in 2014 but has grabbed everybody's attention in last three-four seasons of domestic cricket. Khan has scored 2,466 of his 3,505 runs runs in first class cricket since 2019/20 season. The right-hand batsman had scored 928 runs in 2019/20 season at an astonishing average of 154. In the next season, he amassed 982 runs at an average of 122.75 before hitting 556 runs in the last season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aakash-chopra-on-sarfaraz-khans-omission-from-indias-test-squad-for-west-indies-tour-stst-608207">IND vs WI: Ex-India cricketer slams Sarfaraz Khan's omission from Test squad</a>

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra was one among many who criticised Sarfaraz's omission from both Test and limited-over squad. Notably, other young players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been included in the Test squad while Gaikwad making the cut for ODIs as well.&nbsp;

Sarfaraz, however, did not have a great IPL 2023 during which he played in just four matches and scored only 53 runs for Delhi Capitals. Gaikwad and Jaiswal, however, had a brilliant season unlike Khan as they scored 590 runs in 16 games and 625 runs in 14 games, respectively.

India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, &nbsp;Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini

India’s ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.&nbsp; 
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India selectors recently announced the squad for upcoming tour of West Indies and the decisions taken by them have caused a lot of furor. The team selection has been seen as another missed opportunity for giving more youngsters a chance and one of those names is Sarfaraz Khan.

India selectors recently announced the squad for upcoming tour of West Indies and the decisions taken by them have caused a lot of furor. The team selection has been seen as another missed opportunity for giving more youngsters a chance and one of those names is Sarfaraz Khan. The batsman, who plays for Mumbai in first class cricket, has been piling runs for nearly four seasons but has been overlooked once again. Reacting to yet another chance not given, Sarfaraz, in what seemed like a tongue in cheek reply to the news, posted a video highlight of himself on his Instagram handle. The social media story starts with by showing Khan's first class numbers before he's seen playing some shots. Have a look at the story here: Talking about his career, Sarfaraz made his debut in 2014 but has grabbed everybody's attention in last three-four seasons of domestic cricket. Khan has scored 2,466 of his 3,505 runs runs in first class cricket since 2019/20 season. The right-hand batsman had scored 928 runs in 2019/20 season at an astonishing average of 154. In the next season, he amassed 982 runs at an average of 122.75 before hitting 556 runs in the last season. Also Read: IND vs WI: Ex-India cricketer slams Sarfaraz Khan's omission from Test squad Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra was one among many who criticised Sarfaraz's omission from both Test and limited-over squad. Notably, other young players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been included in the Test squad while Gaikwad making the cut for ODIs as well. Sarfaraz, however, did not have a great IPL 2023 during which he played in just four matches and scored only 53 runs for Delhi Capitals. Gaikwad and Jaiswal, however, had a brilliant season unlike Khan as they scored 590 runs in 16 games and 625 runs in 14 games, respectively. India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini India’s ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Sarfaraz Khan posts CHEEKY reply after being snubbed by selectors for West Indies tour

Truly, Cheteshwar Pujara remains the last of the Test specialists in the modern era where batters do not hesitate to go bang-bang from the word go. In an&nbsp;era with unparallel demand&nbsp;for&nbsp;quick scoring, be it any format, Pujara remains one from the old school of cricket,&nbsp;making his presence more significant in the longer version of the game.&nbsp;

Nonetheless, whenever questions have been raised on India's famed batters' struggle for form, Pujara has been an easy target for critics. Call it his defensive approach, fitness issues, strike-rate woes (yes, even that is taken into account in red-ball cricket in modern times) or his stature being less than big-ticket players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the Saurashtra-born batter has more often than not paid the price.

However, Pujara also enjoyed a lengthy rope in India's Test squad despite dwindling returns since his standout performances in the 2018/19 series against hosts Australia. Since India's first-ever Test series win in Australia, where Pujara ended with 521 runs, including three hundreds, the right-hander has struggled for consistency. He has added only one more three-figure knock under his belt, which came last December in Bangladesh (102 not out).

Pujara has only struck 15 fifties, in 62 innings,&nbsp;since the 2018-19 Australia tour. Thus, a long run of below-par performances have hogged his esteemed Test career. India have been unlucky to witness the fall of Rahane, Kohli, and Pujara at the same time. But, the axe has only fallen on Rahane and Pujara. Interestingly,&nbsp;the latter was offered a central contract for October-September 2022-23, while Rahane wasn't. But Rahane will board India's flight for the West Indies, where they play two Tests starting on July 12, whereas Pujara has been dropped after the squad was announced on Friday (June 23).

In the 16-member squad, the BCCI selectors backed a plethora of youngsters, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, and Ishan Kishan.&nbsp;Thus, the transition period has certainly kicked off in India's Test line-up after the WTC final post-mortem (where India lost the Test mace to Australia by 209 runs earlier&nbsp;this month in London).&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-retains-captaincy-as-bcci-names-india-test-squad-for-wi-tour-pujara-dropped-jaiswal-ruturaj-included-607800">Rohit retains captaincy as BCCI names India Test squad for WI tour, Pujara dropped; Jaiswal, Ruturaj included</a>

Unsurprisingly, Pujara has been the first victim among batters as his twin failures in the WTC summit clash (with scores of 14 and 27) intensified his omission&nbsp;talks. We are in an era in world cricket where England's Bazball is headlining the format. Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum-led England have adopted a fearless approach, batting&nbsp;at over 4.5 runs per over (RPO), and coming up with funky field sets. With India losing the WTC final twice in a row, tough decisions were set to be made. In this aspect, Pujara's slow-burn approach has been overlooked.

Pujara's approach has resulted in many hard-fought and dominating wins for Team India in whites since his debut in 2010. He has stood rock solid and bailed India out of the crisis by taking body blows, concentrating hard on each ball, and trusting his defence. However, his methods have been proven outdated with the rise of young blokes (Jaiswal, Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, etc.). Pujara has never been the quickest between wickets. Age is also not on his side&nbsp;(he is 35). On the other hand,&nbsp;Rahane's 89 and 46 and Kohli's 49 (not that his place will&nbsp;ever come under the scanner) in the WTC final coincided with&nbsp;his flop show,&nbsp;leading to his exit.

It is to be noted that&nbsp;Pujara's numbers versus spin aren't encouraging. He has never been comfortable against the moving deliveries but&nbsp;has also been dismissed by spinners on 19 occasions since 2019 (scoring 910 at a decent 47.89). He averaged over 70 (71.51) versus the spin bowlers from 2010-2018. One might say it is a lost battle now. However, never say never. Rahane wasn't even in India's WTC final scheme of things till Shreyas Iyer got injured. Now, he has regained the vice-captaincy tag for the West Indies series.

Overall, Pujara's road ahead looks extremely tough. As per reports in the Times of India, he is set to feature in this year's Duleep Trophy. His appetite for runs, hunger for batting, and love for Test cricket is second to none. Thus, Pujara's days are not over yet. He is a fighter by all means. The right-hander won't back down so easily. Nonetheless, his current omission looks like a start towards the future.&nbsp;Given his below-par returns since 2019, playing style, and fitness, it does seem&nbsp;to be the right call.

Thus,&nbsp;the phasing out of seniors has begun with Pujara's ouster. India will kick off their all-format tour of the West Indies on July 12. They play two Tests, on July 12 and July 20.&nbsp;

TEST Squad:&nbsp;Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin,&nbsp;R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.

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Truly, Cheteshwar Pujara remains the last of the Test specialists in the modern era where batters do not hesitate to go bang-bang from the word go. In an era with unparallel demand for quick scoring, be it any format, Pujara remains one from the old school of cricket, making his presence more significant in the longer version of the game.

Truly, Cheteshwar Pujara remains the last of the Test specialists in the modern era where batters do not hesitate to go bang-bang from the word go. In an era with unparallel demand for quick scoring, be it any format, Pujara remains one from the old school of cricket, making his presence more significant in the longer version of the game. Nonetheless, whenever questions have been raised on India's famed batters' struggle for form, Pujara has been an easy target for critics. Call it his defensive approach, fitness issues, strike-rate woes (yes, even that is taken into account in red-ball cricket in modern times) or his stature being less than big-ticket players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the Saurashtra-born batter has more often than not paid the price. However, Pujara also enjoyed a lengthy rope in India's Test squad despite dwindling returns since his standout performances in the 2018/19 series against hosts Australia. Since India's first-ever Test series win in Australia, where Pujara ended with 521 runs, including three hundreds, the right-hander has struggled for consistency. He has added only one more three-figure knock under his belt, which came last December in Bangladesh (102 not out). Pujara has only struck 15 fifties, in 62 innings, since the 2018-19 Australia tour. Thus, a long run of below-par performances have hogged his esteemed Test career. India have been unlucky to witness the fall of Rahane, Kohli, and Pujara at the same time. But, the axe has only fallen on Rahane and Pujara. Interestingly, the latter was offered a central contract for October-September 2022-23, while Rahane wasn't. But Rahane will board India's flight for the West Indies, where they play two Tests starting on July 12, whereas Pujara has been dropped after the squad was announced on Friday (June 23). In the 16-member squad, the BCCI selectors backed a plethora of youngsters, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, and Ishan Kishan. Thus, the transition period has certainly kicked off in India's Test line-up after the WTC final post-mortem (where India lost the Test mace to Australia by 209 runs earlier this month in London). Also Read: Rohit retains captaincy as BCCI names India Test squad for WI tour, Pujara dropped; Jaiswal, Ruturaj included Unsurprisingly, Pujara has been the first victim among batters as his twin failures in the WTC summit clash (with scores of 14 and 27) intensified his omission talks. We are in an era in world cricket where England's Bazball is headlining the format. Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum-led England have adopted a fearless approach, batting at over 4.5 runs per over (RPO), and coming up with funky field sets. With India losing the WTC final twice in a row, tough decisions were set to be made. In this aspect, Pujara's slow-burn approach has been overlooked. Pujara's approach has resulted in many hard-fought and dominating wins for Team India in whites since his debut in 2010. He has stood rock solid and bailed India out of the crisis by taking body blows, concentrating hard on each ball, and trusting his defence. However, his methods have been proven outdated with the rise of young blokes (Jaiswal, Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, etc.). Pujara has never been the quickest between wickets. Age is also not on his side (he is 35). On the other hand, Rahane's 89 and 46 and Kohli's 49 (not that his place will ever come under the scanner) in the WTC final coincided with his flop show, leading to his exit. It is to be noted that Pujara's numbers versus spin aren't encouraging. He has never been comfortable against the moving deliveries but has also been dismissed by spinners on 19 occasions since 2019 (scoring 910 at a decent 47.89). He averaged over 70 (71.51) versus the spin bowlers from 2010-2018. One might say it is a lost battle now. However, never say never. Rahane wasn't even in India's WTC final scheme of things till Shreyas Iyer got injured. Now, he has regained the vice-captaincy tag for the West Indies series. Overall, Pujara's road ahead looks extremely tough. As per reports in the Times of India, he is set to feature in this year's Duleep Trophy. His appetite for runs, hunger for batting, and love for Test cricket is second to none. Thus, Pujara's days are not over yet. He is a fighter by all means. The right-hander won't back down so easily. Nonetheless, his current omission looks like a start towards the future. Given his below-par returns since 2019, playing style, and fitness, it does seem to be the right call. Thus, the phasing out of seniors has begun with Pujara's ouster. India will kick off their all-format tour of the West Indies on July 12. They play two Tests, on July 12 and July 20. TEST Squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Explained: India tour of WI | Sympathies with Cheteshwar Pujara but the right call made

Sanju Samson has finally made his return to the Indian ODI squad after he was recalled for the upcoming West Indies tour on Friday, June 23. Samson who had a fruitful Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 was not considered for the World Test Championship (WTC) final despite Team India struggling to put a proven wicketkeeper option. The selectors of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also showed faith in Ishan Kishan while long-term absentees include Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul.

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India’s ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), Shardul Thakur, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh… <a href="https://t.co/PGRexBAGFZ">pic.twitter.com/PGRexBAGFZ</a>
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<h2>Samson, Mukesh Kumar In</h2>

In the squad announced on Friday, Samson along with Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, and Mohammed Siraj were called for the ODI squad as the selectors keep a close eye on the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. The selectors have clearly gone with the plan to have fresh blood in the veins as there was no place for veteran star Ravichandran Ashwin. The burden of the spin department falls on the shoulders of Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel.

On the flip side, despite pressure from some corners, Rohit Sharma has retained the captaincy duties while few sources have confirmed that he will remain captain until the ODI World Cup at least. Hardik Pandya will act as the deputy to Rohit, who yet again was successful in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Gujarat Titans (GT) as he led them to the final before losing to Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-indian-opener-virender-sehwag-reacts-to-rumours-of-being-approached-for-chief-selectors-post-607724">Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag reacts to rumours of being approached for chief selector’s post</a>

<h2>Playing XI headache</h2>

On the flip side, Samson will face competition from Ishan Kishan who had a productive 2022 and scored a double hundred against Bangladesh. He will also remain India’s wicketkeeper option ahead of Samson, while both can still play in the Playing XI. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill remain untouchable options in the Playing XI.

The three-match ODI series against West Indies will start on July 27 to August 1.

<h2>India’s ODI squad:</h2>

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.

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Sanju Samson has finally made his return to the Indian ODI squad after he was recalled for the upcoming West Indies tour on Friday, June 23. Samson who had a fruitful Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 was not considered for the World Test Championship (WTC) final despite Team India struggling to put a proven wicketkeeper option.

Sanju Samson has finally made his return to the Indian ODI squad after he was recalled for the upcoming West Indies tour on Friday, June 23. Samson who had a fruitful Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 was not considered for the World Test Championship (WTC) final despite Team India struggling to put a proven wicketkeeper option. The selectors of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also showed faith in Ishan Kishan while long-term absentees include Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul. India’s ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), Shardul Thakur, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh… pic.twitter.com/PGRexBAGFZ — BCCI (@BCCI) June 23, 2023 × Samson, Mukesh Kumar In In the squad announced on Friday, Samson along with Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, and Mohammed Siraj were called for the ODI squad as the selectors keep a close eye on the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. The selectors have clearly gone with the plan to have fresh blood in the veins as there was no place for veteran star Ravichandran Ashwin. The burden of the spin department falls on the shoulders of Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel. On the flip side, despite pressure from some corners, Rohit Sharma has retained the captaincy duties while few sources have confirmed that he will remain captain until the ODI World Cup at least. Hardik Pandya will act as the deputy to Rohit, who yet again was successful in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Gujarat Titans (GT) as he led them to the final before losing to Chennai Super Kings (CSK). ALSO READ | Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag reacts to rumours of being approached for chief selector’s post Playing XI headache On the flip side, Samson will face competition from Ishan Kishan who had a productive 2022 and scored a double hundred against Bangladesh. He will also remain India’s wicketkeeper option ahead of Samson, while both can still play in the Playing XI. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill remain untouchable options in the Playing XI. The three-match ODI series against West Indies will start on July 27 to August 1. India’s ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

IND vs WI ODI Series: Sanju Samson recalled as KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer continue to miss out with injuries

On Friday afternoon (June 23), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India's 16-man squad for their upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island, starting on July 12. Despite criticism for his captaincy after India's WTC final loss to Australia, Rohit Sharma has retained the top job with Ajinkya Rahane being named his deputy.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, it was expected that the axe would fall on senior players after the WTC final loss. And the same has happened. Cheteshwar Pujara, India's No. 3, has been dropped, along with&nbsp;a plethora of young players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, etc. being included. Mohammed Shami's name is also missing from the squad. The veteran is expected to have been given rest but the same might not be the case for Pujara, who struggled for runs in the WTC finale (with poor returns of 14 and 27).

Navdeep Saini has been roped in as well along with Jaydev Unadkat retaining his place. Umesh Yadav, meanwhile, didn't find a spot. Mohammed Siraj will be expected to spearhead the pace attack.&nbsp;The likes of Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja are part of the all-rounder's department.

Both KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan are the wicketkeeper-batters in the 16-member squad. The first Test kicks off on July 12 at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica, followed by the series decider at the&nbsp;Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

TEST Squad:&nbsp;Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin,&nbsp;R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.

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On Friday afternoon (June 23), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India's 16-man squad for their upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island, starting on July 12.

On Friday afternoon (June 23), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India's 16-man squad for their upcoming two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island, starting on July 12. Despite criticism for his captaincy after India's WTC final loss to Australia, Rohit Sharma has retained the top job with Ajinkya Rahane being named his deputy. Meanwhile, it was expected that the axe would fall on senior players after the WTC final loss. And the same has happened. Cheteshwar Pujara, India's No. 3, has been dropped, along with a plethora of young players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, etc. being included. Mohammed Shami's name is also missing from the squad. The veteran is expected to have been given rest but the same might not be the case for Pujara, who struggled for runs in the WTC finale (with poor returns of 14 and 27). Navdeep Saini has been roped in as well along with Jaydev Unadkat retaining his place. Umesh Yadav, meanwhile, didn't find a spot. Mohammed Siraj will be expected to spearhead the pace attack. The likes of Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja are part of the all-rounder's department. Both KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan are the wicketkeeper-batters in the 16-member squad. The first Test kicks off on July 12 at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica, followed by the series decider at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad. TEST Squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Rohit retains captaincy as BCCI names India Test squad for WI tour, Pujara dropped; Jaiswal, Ruturaj included

India lost the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final to Australia by a whopping 209-run margin at The Oval, London, earlier&nbsp;this month. Having reached the WTC final for the second time in a row, India once again finished second&nbsp;(they lost&nbsp;to New Zealand in the summit clash of the inaugural cycle in 2021). India will now commence their campaign in the third cycle of the WTC with a two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island, starting on July 12.

Prior to the Indian Test squad announcement by the BCCI selectors, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar shared his take on the team composition going forward. Manjrekar feels Indian selectors need to make some big decisions and should include at least three new batters and pacers in the mix, with many senior players looking out of touch, while the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, etc. remain injured.

<h2>'About time we start rewarding the guys who are doing well in first-class cricket'</h2>

"The game changers for Australia in the WTC final - Steve Smith and Travis Head - don't play a lot of T20 cricket. So we have to find guys who are not going to be fatigued or don't have to make the adjustments from IPL to Test cricket. About time we start rewarding the guys who are doing well in first-class cricket. And not just runs. The selectors could look at players who have it in them to be future Test players and succeed in foreign conditions. I would like to see at least three new batters come into play in the picture and new fast bowlers," Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/is-it-going-to-hold-up-ricky-ponting-questions-englands-style-of-play-after-edgbaston-thriller-606880">'Is it going to hold up': Ricky Ponting questions England's 'style of play' after Edgbaston thriller</a>

The cricketer-turned-commentator further opined, "When it comes to batting, they just have to look at first-class performers and not just the amount of runs the player has scored. if you closely observe our domestic cricket then you will find players for No. 3, 4, 5 who has a decent defensive technique, has an appetite for runs and that's your guy, that's the guy to back."

On the pace department, Manjrekar added, "Just a few months back I was taking pride in the depth that we have in our seam-bowling department and suddenly Bumrah is not fit. There are quite fit others like Prasidh Krishna so maybe for Test cricket, India need to create a new line of fast bowlers. Now you should look for specific test players. If somebody gets injured, we should have backups ready. Like Scott Boland. Came in straightaway and made an impact. We had to go back to Umesh Yadav which is not a good sign."

India's tour of West Indies will comprise two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. It will be interesting to see if the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Umesh Yadav, etc. retain&nbsp;their spots or are replaced by the young guns. Meanwhile, even Virat Kohli's Test numbers have been below par in recent years whereas Rohit and R Ashwin do not have age and fitness on their side.

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India lost the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final to Australia by a whopping 209-run margin at The Oval, London, earlier this month. Having reached the WTC final for the second time in a row, India once again finished second (they lost to New Zealand in the summit clash of the inaugural cycle in 2021).

India lost the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final to Australia by a whopping 209-run margin at The Oval, London, earlier this month. Having reached the WTC final for the second time in a row, India once again finished second (they lost to New Zealand in the summit clash of the inaugural cycle in 2021). India will now commence their campaign in the third cycle of the WTC with a two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island, starting on July 12. Prior to the Indian Test squad announcement by the BCCI selectors, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar shared his take on the team composition going forward. Manjrekar feels Indian selectors need to make some big decisions and should include at least three new batters and pacers in the mix, with many senior players looking out of touch, while the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, etc. remain injured. 'About time we start rewarding the guys who are doing well in first-class cricket' "The game changers for Australia in the WTC final - Steve Smith and Travis Head - don't play a lot of T20 cricket. So we have to find guys who are not going to be fatigued or don't have to make the adjustments from IPL to Test cricket. About time we start rewarding the guys who are doing well in first-class cricket. And not just runs. The selectors could look at players who have it in them to be future Test players and succeed in foreign conditions. I would like to see at least three new batters come into play in the picture and new fast bowlers," Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo. Also Read: 'Is it going to hold up': Ricky Ponting questions England's 'style of play' after Edgbaston thriller The cricketer-turned-commentator further opined, "When it comes to batting, they just have to look at first-class performers and not just the amount of runs the player has scored. if you closely observe our domestic cricket then you will find players for No. 3, 4, 5 who has a decent defensive technique, has an appetite for runs and that's your guy, that's the guy to back." On the pace department, Manjrekar added, "Just a few months back I was taking pride in the depth that we have in our seam-bowling department and suddenly Bumrah is not fit. There are quite fit others like Prasidh Krishna so maybe for Test cricket, India need to create a new line of fast bowlers. Now you should look for specific test players. If somebody gets injured, we should have backups ready. Like Scott Boland. Came in straightaway and made an impact. We had to go back to Umesh Yadav which is not a good sign." India's tour of West Indies will comprise two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. It will be interesting to see if the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Umesh Yadav, etc. retain their spots or are replaced by the young guns. Meanwhile, even Virat Kohli's Test numbers have been below par in recent years whereas Rohit and R Ashwin do not have age and fitness on their side. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

West Indies tour: Sanjay Manjrekar calls for inclusion of '3 new batters and pacers' in India's Test line-up

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is expected to be available for the selection for the West Indies tour. Multiple reports had previously suggested that Rohit may be rested for the Test series against the Caribbean opponents. But an article published by INSIDESPORT has now claimed that the 36-year-old is available for selection in the West Indies series. The report published by the above-mentioned-outlet also suggests that Indian selectors may very well be interested in adding someone like Sarfaraz Khan in the Test squad for the two-match series.

Having performed well in the Ranji Trophy in recent times, Sarfaraz can certainly secure his berth in the Test squad. It is being learnt that Rohit will handle the leadership duties in Tests and ODIs. Rohit and Virat are expected not to not take part in the T20I series against West Indies.

 
Apart from Sarfaraz Khan, pacer Mukesh Kumar can find his name in the Test squad as well. Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami are expected to be rotated in a bid to keep themselves fit. Umesh Yadav’s place in the playing XI also appears to be questionable and Jaydev Unadkat, in all likelihood, can be included in the side.The report even suggests that wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan is set to make his Test debut. Kishan is undergoing strength conditioning at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. KS Bharat, on the other hand, may remain in the dugout. The selectors will reportedly discuss ways to bring back Hardik Pandya in red-ball cricket.

 
After failing to do anything effective in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, Indian cricket fans would desperately want Rohit Sharma to regain his form as soon as possible. With the World Cup scheduled to be played in India later this year, the West Indies series could be the platform where Rohit can find the momentum back by producing some crucial knocks.

 
Rohit Sharma’s average has been 49.27 in ODIs in the last 12 months. He has scored one century and four half-centuries in 13 innings. He has also recorded a strike rate of 111.52. In Tests, his average is of 37.5 in five matches.

 
KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah, however, will not be able to take part in the series against West Indies. The first Test between India and West Indies will start from July 17. After the completion of the two-match Test series, the two sides will be involved in ODIs and T20Is.

The first Test between India and West Indies will start from July 17. After the completion of the two-match Test series, the two sides will be involved in ODIs and T20Is.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is expected to be available for the selection for the West Indies tour. Multiple reports had previously suggested that Rohit may be rested for the Test series against the Caribbean opponents. But an article published by INSIDESPORT has now claimed that the 36-year-old is available for selection in the West Indies series. The report published by the above-mentioned-outlet also suggests that Indian selectors may very well be interested in adding someone like Sarfaraz Khan in the Test squad for the two-match series. Having performed well in the Ranji Trophy in recent times, Sarfaraz can certainly secure his berth in the Test squad. It is being learnt that Rohit will handle the leadership duties in Tests and ODIs. Rohit and Virat are expected not to not take part in the T20I series against West Indies. Apart from Sarfaraz Khan, pacer Mukesh Kumar can find his name in the Test squad as well. Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami are expected to be rotated in a bid to keep themselves fit. Umesh Yadav’s place in the playing XI also appears to be questionable and Jaydev Unadkat, in all likelihood, can be included in the side.The report even suggests that wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan is set to make his Test debut. Kishan is undergoing strength conditioning at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. KS Bharat, on the other hand, may remain in the dugout. The selectors will reportedly discuss ways to bring back Hardik Pandya in red-ball cricket. After failing to do anything effective in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, Indian cricket fans would desperately want Rohit Sharma to regain his form as soon as possible. With the World Cup scheduled to be played in India later this year, the West Indies series could be the platform where Rohit can find the momentum back by producing some crucial knocks. Rohit Sharma’s average has been 49.27 in ODIs in the last 12 months. He has scored one century and four half-centuries in 13 innings. He has also recorded a strike rate of 111.52. In Tests, his average is of 37.5 in five matches. KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah, however, will not be able to take part in the series against West Indies. The first Test between India and West Indies will start from July 17. After the completion of the two-match Test series, the two sides will be involved in ODIs and T20Is.

Rohit Sharma set to lead against West Indies: Report