Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fielding struggles at Headingley have raised questions, but Ravichandran Ashwin has offered a clear explanation for the multiple dropped catches by the young Indian opener during the ongoing England vs India 1st Test.
The first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has seen India dominate with the bat, but fielding lapses have become a talking point. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a brilliant century in the first innings, was guilty of dropping three catches in England’s second innings, all off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling. As per records, it’s the highest number of dropped catches by a single player in an innings in recent years. These missed opportunities allowed England to put up a stronger fight than expected.
Yashasvi Jaiswal Drop Catches in ENG vs IND 1st Test
1. Ben Duckett (5th over, England 2nd innings) Dropped by Jaiswal
Bumrah induced an edge off Duckett early in the innings. Stationed at gully, Jaiswal dived full length to his right but failed to hold onto a one-handed chance. The ball raced away for a boundary. Duckett, eventually dismissed by Bumrah, went on to score 62 off 94 balls.
2. Ollie Pope (31st over, England 2nd innings) Dropped by Jaiswal
Ollie Pope, who went on to score a century (106), offered another opportunity. Trying to steer a back-of-length delivery from Bumrah towards third man, Pope edged it to third slip where Jaiswal dived again but shelled the chance after getting both hands on the ball. At the time, Pope was batting on 60.
3. Harry Brook (85th over, England 2nd innings) Dropped by Jaiswal
Brook, who narrowly missed out on a century with 99 runs, also benefited from Jaiswal’s third drop. A short-of-length delivery surprised Brook and his dabbed edge went to the slip cordon where Jaiswal again missed a fairly regulation catch at a comfortable height.
R Ashwin Explains Jaiswal’s Struggles
Ravichandran Ashwin came to Jaiswal’s defense, highlighting the challenges of fielding in English conditions, especially with the Duke’s ball.
“There has been some talk about his catching at 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 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 said on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
A cracking day of Test cricket at Leeds and we’re set for a grandstand finish with all 3 results still possible. Here are my key talking points from Day 4:
1. Rishabh Pant’s daredevilry 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal in the slips 3. Some rough for Jadeja to work with?
He elaborated on the unique difficulty posed by different cricket balls, especially when adjusting from the familiar SG ball used in India.
“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.”
Ashwin also pointed out that despite the recent drops, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been one of India’s most improved slip fielders over the past few months.
“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.”
Jaiswal’s Catching Woes Not Limited to England
Interestingly, Yashasvi Jaiswal has also dropped multiple catches while fielding in Australia, where the Kookaburra ball is used.
At the MCG, Jaiswal missed a simple chance against Australia when Bumrah created an edge that went low and directly to him. He managed to get both hands to the ball but it slipped through his fingers as he stood too close, leaving little reaction time.
jaiswal really needs to work on his catching, really poor from professional 😐 pic.twitter.com/TInV0e4usk
In the same match, Marnus Labuschagne offered a straightforward chance at gully off Akash Deep. The short and wide delivery was steered straight to Jaiswal at a comfortable height, but he failed to hold on.
Later in the innings, Jaiswal dropped another difficult chance off Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling. Pat Cummins pushed a ball towards silly point, and though Jaiswal reacted quickly, he couldn’t stay low enough and the ball slipped out of his hands.
These repeated lapses across conditions suggest that Jaiswal is still adjusting to the pressures and technical demands of close-in catching, regardless of the ball type.
Jaiswal wasn’t the only Indian fielder to struggle. Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and debutant Sai Sudharsan also dropped chances, leading to six missed opportunities in total for India. By the second session, Jaiswal appeared visibly short on confidence, as the pressure mounted after repeated errors.
Despite these slip-ups, Jaiswal’s hundred in the first innings was a standout performance and showed his growth as a Test batter. Ashwin’s perspective adds valuable context for fans frustrated with India’s slip cordon struggles, especially under the challenging English conditions with the Duke’s ball.
As for Jaiswal, while his recent drops have drawn criticism, it is also worth noting that Yashasvi Jaiswal has taken some absolute screamers in the slip cordon and close-in positions. Several of his catches in previous Tests have been spectacular, showing his raw ability and sharp reflexes. As Ashwin mentioned, he remains one of India’s most improved close-in fielders, and with more experience, his consistency is likely to improve.
