Unbeaten on 40 overnight, India's young sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal completed an impressive half-century on debut during the 1st Test against West Indies at Dominica's Windsor Park. Jaiswal joined a list of impressive names as he got to the landmark off 104 balls to assert India's dominance in the series opener. Jaiswal, who yesterday took 16 balls to get off the mark in Test cricket, was subdued in his approach on Day 2 as well, before playing in and giving himself enough time before looking a lot more confident in his strokeplay. With a cracking pull shot for four off Alzarri Joseph – only his second of the day – Jaiswal registered his maiden fifty.
As Jaiswal became the first Indian cricketer since Shreyas Iyer to knock off a 50-plus score on Test debut, the entire dressing room stood up and applauded the youngster. Coach Rahul Dravid gave him a standing ovation, before being joined in by Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli. Even captain Rohit Sharma looked impressed and congratulated Jaiswal for his brilliant knock. And why not? Here is a boy, all of 21 years old, touted as one of the most promising aspects in Indian cricket, and if this is a sign of things to come, Indian cricket's future appears to be in safe hands.
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Jaiswal, Rohit end India's 18-month-long drought
Jaiswal's half-century also brought up the 100-run partnership between him and Rohit. As surprising as it may sound, the last time an Indian opening part put up a 100-run partnership was back in January of 2022, when KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal added 117 runs. Between then and now, India have played 13 Tests, which highlights just how long there has been a top-order drought for a century. Joining Jaiswal, Rohit notched up a fifty of his own – the 15th of his career – as the two continue to motor along and slowly bat West Indies out of this Test.
{{/usCountry}}Jaiswal's half-century also brought up the 100-run partnership between him and Rohit. As surprising as it may sound, the last time an Indian opening part put up a 100-run partnership was back in January of 2022, when KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal added 117 runs. Between then and now, India have played 13 Tests, which highlights just how long there has been a top-order drought for a century. Joining Jaiswal, Rohit notched up a fifty of his own – the 15th of his career – as the two continue to motor along and slowly bat West Indies out of this Test.
{{/usCountry}}With the half-century, Jaiswal becomes the second-youngest Indian to peel off a fifty on Test debut after Prithvi Shaw. In 2018, also against West Indies, Shaw scored a 100 at the age of 18, making Jaiswal next in line. Overall, Jaiswal is the 13th Indian opener to score a half-century on debut. Before him, only Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan have scored hundreds on debut as openers. With Dhawan's Test career over and there being no certainly over Shaw's return, Jaiswal could be the lucky third for India and an answer to their future.ta