Former India player Cheteshwar Pujara has attributed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dismissal in the second innings of the first Test against South Africa to a technical flaw. Pujara emphasized that an opener should be capable of defending such deliveries, especially in Indian conditions.
Jaiswal was caught behind off Marco Jansen’s bowling for a four-ball duck in Kolkata on Sunday, November 16. India lost the game by 30 runs while chasing a modest target of 124 runs.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Pujara was asked about Jaiswal’s aggressive approach at the start of his innings before he got out without scoring.
“His approach was absolutely right. He started positively. Runs weren’t scored with the shots he tried to play. However, it’s about how you tackle a ball you can’t play a shot against. Rishabh Pant is a classical example. We talk about a method in his batting. Yashasvi will have to find that method,” the former India batter responded.
“In the first innings, he cut a ball when there wasn’t much room. So that was a mistake, which is understandable. However, today, as an opener, it’s concerning if you are unable to defend a good ball. His feet didn’t move, he opened up a little, and followed the ball. There is a technical problem here that he needs to sort out. You need to defend this ball properly in Indian conditions,” Pujara added.
Yashasvi Jaiswal had attempted cut shots off the first two balls of his innings. After the third ball went down the leg side, he nicked the fourth delivery to Kyle Verreynne behind the stumps, resulting in India losing their first wicket before a run had been scored.
In the same discussion, former India opener Aakash Chopra expressed his view that Jaiswal has an issue against left-arm seamers.
“I feel he has an issue against left-armers. It is across formats. We have seen him getting out against left-armers many times. It was the inside-edge in the first innings. He is adamant that he has to play the cut if he sees the ball slightly short and wide,” Chopra said.
While acknowledging that Jaiswal fell prey to a good ball in the second innings, Chopra added that the left-handed opener needs to find a solution for his struggles against left-armers.
“He got out to a good ball. I don’t think he could have left it. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal against left-armers, it’s a story worth looking into. If it’s happening across formats, a solution will have to be found for that issue, or there will be a strategy that Yashasvi can be dismissed by bringing in left-armers,” Chopra observed.
Aakash Chopra described Yashasvi Jaiswal’s early dismissal in India’s second innings as a sad story. He reasoned that the 23-year-old was a very important batter for the hosts, considering the nature of the pitch, as he could have taken the game forward quickly.
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*Edited by Kartik Iyer*
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