Jaiswal's Fielding Under Fire: Headingley Errors Revive Concerns Over MCG Catching Woes

Jaiswal's Fielding Woes Under Scrutiny After Headingley Test

Following Yashasvi Jaiswal's impressive century at the opening day of the Leeds Test, his fielding performance has come under intense scrutiny. The young cricketer had a difficult time on the field, dropping four crucial catches during the match, which saw England secure a five-wicket victory in the Headingley Test.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's costly drop during the Headingley Test.

Adding to the concern, Jaiswal's performance made him the first Indian cricketer to drop four catches in a single Test innings.

In light of his struggles in Leeds, an old video has resurfaced, highlighting similar fielding issues. The video shows Jaiswal missing three opportunities on Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Despite the criticism, Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has defended Yashasvi Jaiswal.

"Catches do get dropped. The best fielders have missed catches. None of them did it on purpose,” Gambhir told reporters.

Jasprit Bumrah echoed this sentiment, addressing the dropped chances.

"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 said.

Former India off-spinner R Ashwin also called on fans and critics to give Jaiswal some leeway.

"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 in a video on X.

"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 added.