'Jaiswal is one of the improved fielders in the slip cordon' - Ravichandran Ashwin

Indian veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came to the defence of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, urging for perspective amid criticism over his dropped catches. The left-handed batter missed several chances in the slip cordon, which proved costly for India in the first Test at Leeds.

Ashwin backed the youngster, who has been facing considerable flak, pointing out that he was not the only one at fault; Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant also dropped catches during the match.

“Jaiswal has been one of the most improved fielders in the slip cordon… The Dukes ball feels a little bigger and harder. So, that feeling is very important. You know how much sledging is done by the crowd. So, I do feel for Yashasvi,” Ashwin said in his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat.

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif also offered an explanation for Jaiswal’s dropped catches during crucial moments of the match.

“Why is Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping catches? We are practising with Duke’s ball, and when we get hurt, we put on a strap. In such a situation, the fingers are stuck and there is no free movement. You can’t hold onto the catch because the strap becomes a sponge. The ball bounces off it, so that’s the drawback. The natural connection with the ball shouldn’t be lost,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin also insisted on the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI for the Birmingham Test, scheduled to begin on July 2.

“I want to see how England goes when they face him. If Kuldeep can get you a 3/100 and reduce the first-inning score to 350, then you have a lead of 125. I 100 per cent believed that Kuldeep had a role and he would be a decisive factor. If Kuldeep had played, it might have been a different game,” Ashwin concluded.