Indian young opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fielding has become a topic of discussion in the ongoing Test series against England. In the first Test at Leeds, Jaiswal dropped four catches, a costly mistake that contributed to India’s five-wicket defeat. Former Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin has now offered his perspective on the matter.
The Duke Ball and English Conditions
Ashwin believes that Jaiswal, being a young player, will gain experience and improve. In a video, Ashwin stated, “There’s been a lot of talk about Yashasvi dropping catches in the slip cordon. Yes, he might be finding it difficult, but let’s all just understand and give him a little bit of breathing space, which we often fail to do. I want to point out how difficult it is to catch in England. The cold weather and the Duke ball play a significant role.”Ashwin highlighted the nature of the Duke ball as a major contributing factor to the problem. He said, “The Duke ball can take time to adjust to. The SG ball feels good in the hand and comfortable. The Kookaburra feels smaller. The Duke is hard and definitely feels bigger and is not easy to catch.” According to Ashwin, the weight, size, and swing of the Duke ball present a significant challenge, especially in a crucial position like slip.