"I don't think it's time to bring Jaiswal into the mix" - Robin Uthappa on whether India should play Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 3rd T20I vs West Indies
Robin Uthappa doesn't want India to include Yashasvi Jaiswal in their playing XI for the third T20I against the West Indies.
The third game of the five-match series will be played in Providence, Guyana, on Tuesday, August 8. A few cricket experts have asked for Jaiswal to be included in the XI after the Men in Blue's below-par batting performances in their defeats in the first two games.
While previewing the third T20I on JioCinema, Uthappa was asked whether it's time to bring in Jaiswal. He replied in the negative, reasoning:
"No, I don't think it's time to bring Jaiswal into the mix. I think you still want to give these guys probably another two games simply because a lot of these guys are playing after the IPL. They are coming and playing T20 cricket only after a month-and-a-half break after the IPL."
The former Indian opener added:
"I still think you need to let these guys have a few more games before you want to make any changes because you have a good 20-21 games to go before the World Cup next year. So you want to give them a little bit of a run, at least four or five games, before you think of making any changes. You want to trust the process in that sense."
Uthappa also pointed out that most of the players don't have much information about the different venues in the West Indies. He added that these players could potentially be a part of India's squad for the T20 World Cup next year and should therefore be given as much time in the middle as possible.
"I certainly do see them showing a lot more intent in the 3rd T20I" - Robin Uthappa on whether India's batters need to make the most of the powerplay
![Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill haven't given India explosive starts in the first two T20Is. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/86a96-16914757611777-1920.jpg?w=500)
Robin Uthappa was further asked whether India's batters need to make the most of the powerplay, to which he responded:
"I certainly do see them showing a lot more intent in the third T20I, simply because this (2nd T20I) was their first game at Guyana and they didn't have too much information about the wicket."
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that the relatively inexperienced Indian batters are still acclimatizing themselves to the West Indies conditions. He elaborated:
"You have to understand that a lot of these boys are traveling to the West Indies and playing in these venues for the first time. So it's not like you can trust the wicket. They are still figuring all of those aspects out and those aspects will always remain true in cricket no matter what version of the game you play."
Uthappa concluded by stating that the batters need to be given a little more time and dealt with a little more patience. He added that once they understand the wickets and trust their game on those surfaces, they will get the team off to the required explosive starts.