Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped four catches in the first Test against England at Headingley. It was crucial in the context of the game, and one may argue that it might have cost India the first of the five-match series. Even though the youngster scored a sensational century in the first innings but his dropped chances soon became the highlight as India lost by five wickets.
Explaining the reason behind it, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif analysed that the strap that Jaiswal had put in his hand may have distracted him. He pointed out that once the strap is put on, the fingers get stuck and lose their freedom of movement. The 44-year-old noted that the strap turns into a sponge, and it often becomes difficult to hold the ball as there’s no natural connection.
“Why is Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping catches? We are practising with Duke’s ball, and when we get hurt, we put a strap. In such a situation, the fingers are stuck and there is no free movement. You can’t hold onto the catch because the strap becomes a sponge. The ball bounces off it, so that’s the drawback. The natural connection with the ball shouldn’t be lost,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Jadeja, Pant too dropped chances
Ravindra Jadeja, considered to be one of the best fielders of all time, also dropped a simple catch in the first innings. Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah too handed lifelines to England batters and courtesy of that, England went on to win a historic game of cricket. That leaves the visitors in trouble as their star pacer Bumrah won’t be playing two out of the remaining four matches.
Among bowlers, it was only he who looked threatening as Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna struggled to find rhythm. Lower-order batting is also another concern that the team management needs to address.
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