Debasis Sen in Birmingham
Yashasvi Jaiswal will be under the spotlight as he walks out to open the batting alongside KL Rahul in the second Test at Edgbaston, starting Wednesday. Jaiswal scored 101 off 159 balls in the first innings in Leeds before being bowled by Ben Stokes, but managed only 4 runs in the second innings, edging a delivery from Brydon Carse to the ‘keeper Jamie Smith. The dismissal exposed a possible vulnerability to deliveries pitched just short of a good length and outside the off-stump.
During India’s practice session on Tuesday, Jaiswal was seen seeking guidance from KL Rahul in the nets. The duo had an extended discussion, with Rahul offering technical advice on handling rising deliveries. At one point, Rahul even adopted a left-handed stance to demonstrate how Jaiswal could negate the threat.
Jaiswal’s struggles weren’t limited to the bat. He endured a difficult outing in the field, dropping four crucial catches—three in the gully region, one in the deep and one at fourth slip—which proved costly for India. The team dropped a total of seven catches in the match and squandered strong positions in both innings, losing 7 for 41 and 6 for 31 respectively after reaching commanding scores of 430 for 3 and 340 for 4. These collapses allowed England to seize control and eventually win the match by five wickets, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
India’s captain Shubman Gill emphasised the need for consistency on the flatter English pitches, stating that the team must capitalise after getting a solid start. Meanwhile, the slip cordon may see a reshuffle for the second Test, with Jaiswal likely to be relieved from close-in duties due to his poor fielding show. During Monday’s training, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Nitish Kumar Reddy were seen practicing slip catches, indicating possible changes in the fielding setup.
As the second Test approaches, all eyes will be on Jaiswal to see whether he can address his technical flaws and bounce back strongly, both with the bat and in the field.
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