Rohit Sharma confirms new opening partner for 1st Test vs West Indies; Shubman Gill to bat at No.3

India will be locking horns with West Indies to kickstart their 2023-25 World Test Championship Cycle as Windsor Park in Dominica gears up for the first Test of the series. In the pre-match press conference, India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that he will open the innings with a new partner as Shubman Gill has volunteered to man India’s No.3 spot in Cheteshwar Pujara’s absence.

With a few big names missing, India will be trying out a few new permutations and combinations, one of which will be to play Gill at No.3, a crucial position in a batting line-up that was once manned by the likes of Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli before Pujara made it his own.

Talking in the presser, Rohit announced that Yashasvi Jaiswal will make his international debut, coming into the series on the back of a fantastic IPL season preceded by terrific red-ball cricket numbers. 

Rohit said, “Gill will play at No.3 because Gill himself wants to play at No.3.  He came and told Rahul (Dravid) that “I have played all my cricket at 3 and 4. I think I can do better for my team if I bat at number 3.” and that is good for us too because it becomes an opening combination of left and right.”

He further added on Jaiswal, “So I think we will try to do this and hopefully this will go on for a long time. Because we have been looking for a left-hander for many years. So now that we have got that left-hander, let's hope he performs well for the team. And he can really make that spot his own.”