Jaiswal's Fielding Under Fire: Viral Video Resurfaces After Headingley Catching Woes

Jaiswal's Fielding Woes Under Scrutiny After Headingley Test

Following Yashasvi Jaiswal's impressive century in the Leeds Test, his performance in the field has come under intense scrutiny. The young cricketer endured a difficult time, dropping a total of four catches during the match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's costly drop during the Headingley Test

His errors contributed to England's five-wicket victory. Jaiswal's performance made him the first Indian cricketer to drop four catches in a single Test innings.

In the wake of the Headingley Test, a video has resurfaced, highlighting Jaiswal's previous fielding struggles. The footage shows the Indian opener missing three opportunities during Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Despite the criticism, Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has defended Yashasvi Jaiswal's fielding. "Catches do get dropped. The best fielders have missed catches. None of them did it on purpose," Gambhir stated.

Jasprit Bumrah echoed this sentiment, acknowledging that dropped catches are an unavoidable part of the game. "Drop catches, I understand nobody is doing it on purpose. And obviously, everyone is trying their best. In cold weather, the ball is sometimes difficult to sight over here as well. So, I do understand. But yes, some things are part and parcel of the game," he explained.

Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has also urged fans and critics to show Yashasvi Jaiswal understanding.

"There has been some talk about his catching in the slip cordon. Yes, he has found it tough. But let’s all just understand something — and cut him some slack — which we often fail to do: how difficult it is to catch, not just in English conditions," Ashwin said.

He further elaborated on the challenges of fielding in different conditions. "It’s cold weather, and it’s also about the feel of the Dukes ball. It can take some adaptation time. The SG ball feels nice and comfortable in the hand; the Kookaburra feels smaller. The Dukes is harder and, from a feel perspective, feels bigger. It’s not easy," Ashwin concluded.