India's fielding performance in the first Test against England at Headingley has come under severe scrutiny, with former players and experts like Stuart Broad and Ravi Shastri leading the criticism. The focal point of their ire is young Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had a particularly difficult time in the field, dropping three catches, all off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah. Overall, India dropped six catches in England's first innings, a statistic that highlights a significant lapse in standards.
The dropped chances proved costly, as all three batsmen Jaiswal gave reprieves to – Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook – went on to make substantial scores. Duckett, dropped on 15, made 62; Pope, dropped on 60, scored 106; and Brook, dropped on 83, was eventually dismissed for 99. Collectively, these dropped catches resulted in England adding 109 extra runs, allowing them to get close to India's first innings total and limit India's lead to a mere 6 runs.
Ravi Shastri, known for his forthright opinions, didn't mince words, stating that India should have secured a 150-run lead, but poor fielding cost them the advantage. He emphasized the need for India to score over 300 runs in their next innings to put pressure back on England; otherwise, the former coach warned, England might seize control of the Test match.
Stuart Broad echoed Shastri's sentiments, emphasizing the importance of seizing opportunities in Test cricket. He pointed out that dropping three catches is simply unacceptable at this level, especially when they lead to significant contributions from the opposition's batsmen. Other experts, like Nasser Hussain, also agreed with Shastri's assessment, expressing disappointment in India's overall fielding performance.
Sunil Gavaskar also criticized the team's fielding display. Gavaskar said he expected no fielding medal from T Dilip to the players, given a couple of dropped chances in the first innings alone.
The impact of Jaiswal's performance wasn't limited to just the scoreboard. His confidence appeared visibly shaken as the errors mounted, placing him under immense pressure. Questions are now being raised about his positioning in the slip cordon, with some suggesting that Sai Sudharsan might be a better alternative in that crucial position. Shubman Gill's captaincy has also faced scrutiny, with commentators questioning why Jaiswal wasn't moved from the slips despite his repeated errors. Some felt that deploying him at slip was a significant error of judgment by the captain, especially since he mostly fielded in the gully during the Australia tour.
Adding to India's woes, the bowlers, apart from Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to make a significant impact. Bumrah, despite the dropped catches off his bowling, managed to pick up a five-wicket haul, but he lacked sufficient support from the other end. Furthermore, the late introduction of Bumrah into the attack when England were eight wickets down was also questioned as a tactical misstep.
The fielding lapses, combined with a batting collapse in which India lost 7 wickets for just 41 runs, allowed England to claw their way back into the game. While KL Rahul and Shubman Gill showed resilience with the bat in the second innings, the pressure remains firmly on India to deliver a strong performance and capitalize on their narrow lead.
