India vs West Indies 2023: Yashasvi Jaiswal gets ready for big stage as Men in Blue start transition

The last few months have been a life-turning for Mumbai left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal and now he is on the verge of playing Test cricket for India.

India will enter a period of transition in Test cricket starting with the first of the two matches against West Indies in Dominica on Wednesday. At the heart of the change lies the story of a young man who will realise his dreams after a sustained period of struggle.

The last few months have been a life-turning for Mumbai left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal. In April, he scored his maiden IPL hundred playing for the Rajasthan Royals- a statement innings of 124 runs from 62 balls- against the Mumbai Indians and broke the record for the highest individual score made by an uncapped player in the history of the tournament.

Later, he cracked the fastest-ever IPL fifty off just 13 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders to offer a further glimpse of the enormous potential that he possessed. Jaiswal's season tally of 625 runs in 14 matches at a strike-rate of 163.61 had made the world standup and take notice.

The 2023 IPL season was crucial for the southpaw as it helped him backup for his performances in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season, where he made 315 runs in five matches at an average of 77 for Mumbai. Overall, Jaiswal's First-class record reads: 15 matches, 1845 runs, Average: 80.21., Best score: 265.

India have picked a player not just on current exploits, but one who has shown an appetite for big runs.

For both Mumbai and the Royals this season, Jaiswal made what many would call "tough runs" as both teams failed to make it past the group stage of the respective tournaments.

But for the boy from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh, who relocated to Mumbai when he was 12 years old, performances in both those competitions did not initially help realise his dreams. But with a slice of luck, Jaiswal was drafted into the Indian setup as a reserve player for the World Test Championship final in June.

"All my life I was ready to take any gamble to play this sport. I love this more than my life and am ready to do anything for it. I have always backed my decision," Jaiswal told Indian Express in an interview in June.

A month later, all the gambles and sacrifices are about to bear fruit as Jaiswal readies himself for the big stage on Wednesday after skipper Rohit Sharma revealed incumbent opener Shubman Gill would bat at three in the first Test, thereby paving the way for Jaiswal's debut.

"Shubman Gill will play at No. 3 because he wants to play at three. He told [coach] Rahul [Dravid] bhai that he has played all of his cricket at No. 3 and No. 4 and that he can do better for the team at No. 3. It helps us too as it creates a left-right opening combination. This is what we are trying and hopefully, this becomes a long-term thing as we have been desperate for a left-hander. We have got that left-hander in Jaiswal and let's hope that he performs well for the team and he can really make that spot his own," Rohit said on Tuesday.

From living in tents, selling pani-puri, carrying his kit bag and traveling the length and breadth of Mumbai and India, Jaiswal has had to endure far more than several others in his age-group but he now stands ahead of all of them in the race to play for India.

If and when he does debut on Wednesday, Jaiswal will join an elite list of players that includes the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli who also debuted for India in Test cricket in the Caribbean. The hope now is for him to follow their path and become a true Indian great in future.

Also read: Yashasvi Jaiswal: From selling pani puris to creating new IPL records