India versus West Indies: Yashasvi Jaiswal to open, Shubman Gill at No.3, says Rohit Sharma

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s upcoming Test debut has resulted in the separation of India’s regular opening combination, with Shubman Gill set to bat at No.3 in the first Test against West Indies starting in Dominica on Wednesday.
Gill and Rohit Sharma have been opening the batting for India for quite some time, but it will be Jaiswal who will be walking out with the India skipper to start the innings in the Caribbean.
“Indian cricket was desperately looking for a left-hander, and we have found one in Jaiswal. The left-right combination at the top will be a big advantage for us,” Sharma told a press conference on the eve of the Test. “Gill himself went to head coach Rahul Dravid and expressed a desire to bat at No.3 as he has batted in that position throughout his career.”
This will not be the only change as India begin their World Test Championship cycle after falling at the last hurdle for the second successive time. Mohammed Siraj, with 19 Tests under his belt, will be the leading pacer in the attack, with Jasprit Bumrah out injured and Mohammed Shami rested.
3 pacers, 2 spinners
“The pitches here are conducive to pace bowling, so we will go with a combination of three fast bowlers and two spinners,” Sharma said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a long line of pacers at the moment, as many of them are nursing injuries. That’s why many of our experienced bowlers couldn’t come on this tour.”

“This will always be the challenge confronting Indian cricket, as we play a lot. We need to give players breaks, manage them, so that they come back refreshed. We don’t have the luxury to focus on just one series. We have to look at what is coming ahead. The World Cup is coming and we need to see which players we will need more for that,” the captain said.