ENG vs IND: For Yashasvi Jaiswal, the first Test match against England in Leeds turned out to be a bitter lesson. On the first day, he smashed a brilliant century and created history, becoming the first player to hit a hundred on debut in both Australia and England. But what was a dream soon turned into a nightmare.
On the second day, the Indian opener dropped easy catches of Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. Duckett got a reprieve on 15 and then made 62. Pope was on 60, when he was dropped, then reached 106. The third chance came on the third day, when he dropped a catch of Harry Brook. Brook was on 83 at the time and was eventually dismissed on 99. The combined extras of the trio stood at 109—a lapse that almost rendered India's slim 6-run lead futile.
ENG vs IND: What did Sanjay Manjrekar say about Yashasvi Jaiswal's drop catches?
Sanjay Manjrekar also reacted to the whole situation on ESPNcricinfo. He believed that Jaiswal has excellent catching skills in the gully—he had taken some brilliant catches against Australia and New Zealand. But dropping three catches in this Test is a matter of concern. He also said that only someone who can catch regularly can become a slip fielder for a long time.
That consistency was not seen in Jaiswal in this match. Manjrekar clearly said that when someone is going through a bad day, it is better to remove them rather than just hoping. The former Indian cricketer suggested that India should prepare one or two backup slip fielders in their practice sessions, who can become an immediate option if needed. Shubhman Gill's choice is the wide slip cordon, so if a player like Jaiswal has a bad day, then a solid plan B should be ready for him. Manjrekar also added that Sai Sudarshan can be a useful name in such options.
“In Australia and the series before that (New Zealand at home), I saw Yashasvi Jaiswal take a couple of very good catches in the gully. He made that position his own. I said at the time that India had found a great gully fielder. But in this Test match, he’s dropped 3 catches. You’ve got to feel sorry for Jaiswal because he has some talent for taking catches.
To be a long-term slip catch, generally, you take all your catches, and there will be an odd one you miss. At this stage, you’ve got to remain skeptical about Jaiswal as your long-term slip fielder. The best of slip catchers could have a terrible day. At this stage, it’s not about being kind or encouraging to Jaiswal. Maybe it’s just not his Test matc,h and get somebody else in. Then you think, who else? Because India already has 4 slips and gully on occasion.
The one guy who I think could be in that position is Sai Sudharsan. That is where the preparations matter. When you do your morning drills and slip catching, have one or two backup slip fielders taking catches. Shubman Gill likes a wide slip cordon and Jaiswal or anybody else having a bad day; you’ve got to have an option,” Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo.
Opinion:
Now, the question is what should Team India do from here? The first is that we have to maintain a balance between expectation and reality with every player. There is no doubt about Jaiswal's talent, but the price of fielding in Test cricket is no less than runs. When a player repeatedly misses at the same position, it can prove to be costly for the team. Therefore, the team management must adopt a rotating policy for its slip and gully fielders, wherein the fielding positions are rotated rather than fixed during practice.
Also, fielding positions can be changed based on form and match-day response. Jaiswal can be tested at another position by shifting him from gully or slip for a few matches. This will also help in building his confidence and maintaining the team's fielding stability. Also, young players like Sai Sudarshan should start getting precise slip training from now itself, so that in the future India has options that can become a solution and not just a regret when a dropped catch is dropped.
