Yashasvi Jaiswal joins list of elite Indian cricketers after Test ton on debut

Roseau [Dominica]: India youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal made a spectacular hundred in Dominica on day two of the first Test match against West Indies, and he joined an elite list by becoming the 17th player from India to score three figures on his Test debut.

Jaiswal resumed his innings on Day 2 with a score of 40*. He was careful, yet positive in his approach during his stay at the crease. The 21-year-old shifted gears after the lunch break on day two and completed a well-made hundred.

The left-handed opener became the 17th Indian Test debutant to make a hundred. The last Indian batter to do so was Shreyas Iyer in 2021 against New Zealand in Kanpur.

Another remarkable thing in his Test debut ton was that his partner at the other end, Rohit Sharma, had also made a Test hundred on his debut, against West Indies, in 2013.

Jaiswal is only the seventh Indian batter and the first in 13 years to score a Test century on debut away from home.

Earlier Suresh Raina made 120 against Sri Lanka in 2010 and he was the last Indian batter to score a Test ton on debut outside India.

The left-handed batter is also only the third Indian opener to make a Test hundred on debut after Shikhar Dhawan (187 v Australia, 2013) and Prithvi Shaw (134 v West Indies, 2018).

The opener’s impressive performance was foreshadowed as he had received big praise in the build-up to the Test from vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane.

“Firstly I’m really happy for him [Jaiswal], he’s a really exciting talent. He did really well in domestic cricket for Mumbai, did well in the IPL as well. Most importantly, the way he’s batting in red-ball (cricket). He did well in the Duleep Trophy last year too,” Rahane said in the press conference ahead of the match.

Jaiswal had played only 15 first-class games in his career before making his Test debut. With averages over 80 in those games with nine hundreds, including a stunning 265 in the second innings of the Duleep Trophy Final last year brought him in contention for this Test.

The opener completed his hundred on in the 70th over, and by the time he reached three digit figure, his opening stand with Rohit had crossed 200 run-mark.

Rohit joined Jaiswal before the tea break, getting to his tenth Test century, and also crossing 3500 Test runs. But the skipper fell next ball to debutant Alick Athanaze for a score of 103.