Yashasvi Jaiswal: 'I just want to go out and express myself'

On Friday afternoon, when news of his selection in the India Test squad for the tour of the West Indies came in, there was emotion and elation in equal measure for Yashasvi Jaiswal.

"My father started crying. I have not yet met my mother [since the announcement], I am going to see her in some time. I was out from the morning, had a practice session as well as some other work," Jaiswal told PTI in an interview in Mumbai hours after his selection.

"I am feeling good, I will try to do my best," Jaiswal, who will be heading to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru in a couple of days' time to prepare for the series, said. "I am excited but at the same time I just want to go out and express myself."

Jaiswal, 21, had lit up the IPL (625 runs at a strike rate of 163.61) for Rajasthan Royals and has dominated in red-ball cricket too (he has a first-class average of 80.21 in 26 innings, and in his most recent first-class game, in the Irani Cup in March, made scores of 213 and 144). He was among India's reserve players for the World Test Championship final earlier this month.

Jaiswal said he was nervous heading into the squad announcement. "I was a little nervous, till the time you do not get to know that your name is there in the team, there are butterflies. But it is a good feeling.

"My preparations have been going good and I got to interact a lot with the senior players [during the WTC final]. The conversation has been very simple - to focus on my work. I learned from them that in the end it is all about you, how you take it going forward."

The West Indies series includes two Tests, the first starting in Dominica on July 12 and the second in Trinidad on July 20.