- June 26, 2025
We’ve all had those absolutely dreadful days — you know, where absolutely nothing that happens goes your way, and the more you try, the worse it gets. Unfortunately for Yashasvi Jaiswal, that day probably could – as a professional cricketer – not have come at a worse time till one would think of more — not only a Test match against England, but Headingley! Yashasvi batted reasonably well, but once he had his butter fingers out in the field, it was all anyone wanted to talk about. He dropped an incredible four! – Yes, four! – catches, and therefore, fans were left not only disappointed, but livid.
The Catch That Broke the Internet
Let’s face it, the agony of dropping a catch in ANY high-pressure game is terrible enough; dropping two is even worse, dropping three is concerning, and four? Now we’re in nightmare territory. The last drop from Jaiswal was particularly a dagger to Indian hopes. England were already ahead in the game, chasing a sizable target in the 4th innings, and Ben Duckett was away on 97 when he went for a pull off a delivery from Siraj, getting a top edge. The ball stalled in the air, Jaiswal was charging in from deep square leg, got into position… it went deliberately through his hands.
As if to add salt to the wound, Duckett went on to make a century and put together a massive opening partnership of 181 with Zak Crawley. That drop was not only a fielding error, but possibly changed the course of the match altogether.
Social Media vs Second Chances
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) were quick to blow off steam. One user posted, “Dump Jaiswal for the next Test.” Another added, “I don’t care how many runs he eventually goes on to score, he has lost us this test in the field.” These views were not simply trolling – a lot of long-time fans have expressed some very real frustration. And he is an opener – a top-order batter meant to create a base. He did his job in the first innings, getting a hard-as-nails 101.
In the age of social media hot takes, we almost judge players minute by minute. While, understandably, I can see the frustration, especially in a close Test, the responses like “Drop him!” could be a bit reactionary. Improvement? Yes. Accountability? Certainly. But dropping a guy after one bad day on the park seems a little excessive when he is still in mere beginnings of his journey.
The Bigger Picture: India’s Fielding Woes
Let’s look at the big picture. For the series, India’s overall fielding has been questionable – missed run-out opportunities, poor misfields, these are important indicators that India has been seriously underperforming in the outfield, which is a more concerning issue than one individual player’s missed opportunities.
Fielding is not just an afterthought in contemporary cricket – it can make or break games. Unlike in the past when a casual jog and an awkward catch would suffice, today’s athletes must field at an elite level with athleticism, speed, and reflexes. Teams that don’t field properly find themselves chasing all game (no pun intended). Jaiswal’s dropped catches are simply the effect. The larger ailment is India’s fielding inconsistency – something the entire team is working on.
Fielding can—and must—get better. But actually, the bigger problem is India’s general sloppiness in the outfield, and it’s not only Jaiswal’s bad day. So, before we rush to conclusions, maybe we can frame a better question: how can India make their fielding move from a liability to an asset?
What do you think—should one bad day cost a young gun his opportunity? Or is this just part of the growing-up process on an important stage?
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