Yashasvi Jaiswal's performance in the ongoing Headingley Test has become a major talking point, particularly his struggles in the field. The young Indian opener, who has otherwise impressed with his batting, especially a century in the first innings, had a difficult time in the slip cordon, dropping multiple catches. This has led to criticism from fans, but Ravichandran Ashwin has stepped in to defend the youngster, offering a nuanced perspective on the challenges of fielding in English conditions with the Duke's ball.
Jaiswal's dropped catches have been costly for India. In England's first innings, he dropped Ben Duckett early, who went on to score 62. He also dropped Ollie Pope, who then scored a century. Harry Brook also benefited from a dropped catch by Jaiswal, narrowly missing a century himself. The misery continued into the second innings when he dropped Duckett again, this time when he was on 97.
Ashwin, in a video posted on X, acknowledged Jaiswal's struggles but urged fans to cut him some slack. He explained that catching in English conditions is particularly challenging due to the cold weather and the nature of the Duke's ball. "There has been some talk about his catching at slip cordon," Ashwin said. "Yes, he has found it tough. But let's all just understand something — and cut [him] some slack — which we often fail to do is how difficult it is to catch, not just in English conditions... It's cold weather and it's also about the feel of the Duke's ball. It can take some adaptation time."
Ashwin further elaborated on the differences between the SG, Kookaburra, and Duke's balls. "The SG ball feels nice and comfortable inside the hand, the Kookaburra feels smaller. The Duke's is harder and definitely, from a field perspective, feels bigger and it's not easy." He emphasized that adjusting to these conditions takes time, even for experienced players.
Despite the recent drops, Ashwin highlighted Jaiswal's improvement as a slip fielder. "He's been one of the most improved slip fielders that India has had. He has taken some fantastic catches in the recent past, especially in Test cricket, so we should give him some time." This suggests that Jaiswal has the potential to become a reliable fielder, and his current struggles should be viewed as part of his learning curve.
India's overall fielding performance in the Headingley Test has been subpar, with multiple dropped catches besides Jaiswal's. This has added to the frustration, particularly for bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, who have been unlucky to have chances go down off their bowling.
Beyond Jaiswal's fielding, Ashwin also touched upon the importance of creating opportunities for Ravindra Jadeja. He suggested that the Indian pacers could try to create rough patches on the pitch to assist Jadeja's spin bowling. Drawing inspiration from how some foreign teams use long nails in their boots to create footmarks for their spinners, Ashwin wondered if the Indian team could implement a similar strategy. "Can we do something? Because if the spinner is in play, we've got a huge chance," he said.
Ashwin's remarks serve as both a defense of Jaiswal and a broader commentary on the challenges of Test cricket, particularly in foreign conditions. His call for patience and understanding, combined with strategic insights, underscores his value to the team, both on and off the field.
