The India opener smashed his maiden Test century on debut during Day 2 of the Dominica Test against West Indies.

It was a Test debut to remember for opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, as he joined an elite few including his captain Rohit Sharma after smashing a century in his maiden Test innings against West Indies on Thursday. After remaining unbeaten on 40 on Day 1, Yashasvi began with similar composure as the players returned for the second day, took no time to reach his half-century and displayed great composure and quality to reach his Test hundred.

Yashaswi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed his maiden ton in the 1st Test vs West Indies

At the end of Day 2, Yashasvi remained unbeaten on 143 and had built a strong 82-run stand alongside Virat Kohli (36*), as India led by 162 runs with 8 wickets still in hand. In an interview following the end of the day, Yashasvi seemed emotional as he talked about his century and dedicated the innings to his mother and father.

“It is very emotional for me and my family. For everyone who has supported me in any way. It has been a long journey. I want to say thank you to everyone who have helped me. I want to dedicate this to my mother and father, they've contributed a lot. Thanks to god. I won't say much now... I'm happy, this is just a start, I've a lot to do,” Yashasvi said in the video clip posted by the BCCI.

Jaiswal rose from humble beginnings, living in tents and selling street food to pursue his cricketing dream. After impressive performances in the domestic circuit, the young opener burst into the scene in the Indian Premier League, where he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals.

While he had made his IPL debut in 2020, Jaiswal enjoyed his breakthrough season this year, smashing 625 runs in 14 matches at a terrific strike rate of 163.61, and an average of 48.08. The left-handed opener also scored a century while smashing five fifties in the 2023 edition. The performance eventually earned Jaiswal an India call-up for the tour of West Indies; he is also a part of the side's T20I squad on the tour.

On Day 2, India ended at 312/2; in addition to Yashasvi, Rohit also scored a terrific hundred, scoring 103 off 221 deliveries. Shubman Gill, who was shifted to no.3 spot in the batting order, failed to make a mark, perishing on 6 as he was dismissed by left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican.