India batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal thanked Rohit Sharma for talking him through his Test debut on Thursday after the left-hander scored an unbeaten 143 against the West Indies in a sparkling opening partnership with his captain.
Jaiswal shared an opening stand of 229 with Rohit (103) as the tourists took control of the match at Windsor Park in Roseau, closing the second day's play at 312-2 after dismissing the hosts for 150.
The first India batsman to score a ton on debut outside Asia in over 21 years, he told reporters that Rohit's insight and experience had been vital.
"He kept telling me how to play on this wicket and where the runs will come from," said Jaiswal.
"There was great communication between us before the game as well. He told me 'You have to do it, you are the only person.'
"I also kept thinking about it and how I need to prepare mentally and score runs. I have learned a lot and I hope to continue doing so."
The 21-year-old forged a reputation as a hard-hitting batter in the Indian Premier League this season, scoring the fastest fifty (13 balls) in IPL history and making 625 runs to finish among the top five scorers during the two-month tournament.
But he showed he can adapt quickly to the Test arena, his runs against West Indies coming off 350 balls.
"It feels good. It was an emotional moment and I enjoyed it a lot," he said of his first test experience. I'm still batting and I hope to play as long as possible for the team.
"This is just the start of my career and I will try to stay focused and disciplined as I want to keep playing for India for a long time."
