Jaiswal to open on debut, Gill at No.3 as India begin Test transition

With the new World Test Championship cycle kicking off, India look to the next generation to step up in the West Indies series opener in Dominica

The first sighting of India’s Test trials have almost always been in the Caribbean. It was in Kingston four years ago that Hanuma Vihari finally came good with a hundred to cement his position as middle-order Test specialist. Wind back to 2016, and this was when Cheteshwar Pujara was unceremoniously dropped in the third Test, prompting Virat Kohli to promote himself to No 3, give Rohit Sharma—making a comeback after more than a year—No 4 and ask Ravichandran Ashwin to turn up at No 6. In 2011, Kohli, Praveen Kumar and Abhinav Mukund were handed debuts in Kingston. Equally significant was the 2006 tour that marked Wasim Jaffer’s return as overseas opener after four years and the end of Mohammed Kaif’s Test career.

India's captain Rohit Sharma (L) looks on during a break in play (AFP)

Another West Indies tour, another World Test Championship cycle and India are yet again on the cusp of a transition that seems more forced than organic. Jasprit Bumrah’s unusually long hiatus from cricket has not only robbed India of a pace spearhead but also put a serious question mark on his Test-playing capability. Mohammed Shami has been rested. Umesh Yadav, nursing a hamstring injury, is unlikely to get an overseas Test anymore after the World Test Championship final. And Ishant Sharma too has been overlooked for some time now. That leaves India with Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Jaydev Unadkat and the uncapped Mukesh Kumar in the Caribbean, and an aggregate experience of only 32 Tests.

Given the Caribbean pitches are on the slower side these days, there is little doubt the spinners—Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel—will be asked to do most of the heavy lifting. “Looking at the wicket, I think we will go with two spinners and three seamers,” said India captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the first Test in Dominica, on Tuesday. “The last Test here was in 2017 and spinners took quite a few wickets. There is bounce as well.” In a way, this is exactly the kind of opportunity Siraj and Thakur need to showcase their skills, considering India will definitely summon them for the tours of England and Australia later in this WTC cycle. “We also need to create bench strength,” said Sharma. “So it’s important we check out the new guys and assess if they can handle the international stage.”

In captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Jermaine Blackwood and now, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, West Indies possess the kind of batting that can attack as well as resist. “We don't know what people are saying on the outside, but we are definitely not taking them lightly,” said Ajinkya Rahane on Monday. “Their performance at home in Tests has been good in the last one to two years. We've had good preparation in Barbados before coming in, so we're well covered. It's all about starting well now."

For captain Rohit Sharma, as well as Rahane and Kohli by extension, the future is unclear. There is little doubt that this might be their last Caribbean tour. And while the end might still be some time away, India need to put into motion the change. It’s another matter they chose to kickstart this transition with the most difficult position—No 3—by dropping Cheteshwar Pujara, easily the most politically correct cricketer of our times. Pujara will be replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal but he will make his debut as opener since Shubman Gill has decided to come one down. “He (Gill) wants to play at No 3,” said Sharma. “And he told Rahul Dravid the same, that he could do better for the team if he bats there. Which is also great for us since we now have a left-right opening combination. I hope this (left-right combination) is long term.”

Rahane’s inclusion and elevation to vice-captaincy at this juncture is interesting, considering the selectors should be seeking to build a core for the future. But his intent and application during the WTC final (he scored 89 and 46) couldn’t have been ignored too. “I’m still young and there's a lot of cricket left in me,” said Rahane. “In the last one year or so, I've worked a lot on my fitness. There were a few points in my batting that I've worked on. I'm enjoying my cricket a lot, enjoying my batting. I'm not thinking too much into the future.”

Benched despite being the vice-captain in South Africa (2018) or leading India to an epic series win in Australia (2021) and seeing its credit going somewhere else, Rahane knows how life works. But it’s also difficult to imagine India persisting with him this entire Test cycle. Which is why the selections of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan also give a peek into what the management might be thinking. India will soon need an opener too, and also a wicketkeeper-batter in the Rishabh Pant template if KS Bharat doesn’t get some quick runs. But changes tend to work better when allowed in increments. And the first of those will come into play in the West Indies.