Thu Jun 26 18:44:29 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**India’s Fielding Woes Under Scrutiny Despite Jaiswal’s Century in Leeds Test**
Leeds: Despite a strong batting performance, including a century from Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s fielding performance in the first Test against England has come under heavy criticism. The team dropped a staggering eight catches, costing them an estimated 250 runs and potentially the match.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, in particular, faced scrutiny for dropping four catches, leading to former captain Sunil Gavaskar expressing his disappointment on air. “Yashasvi Jaiswal is a very good fielder but he hasn’t been able to hold on to anything this time,” Gavaskar commented. England bowler Stuart Broad echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the need to capitalize on catching opportunities.
However, former India fielding coach R Sridhar defended Jaiswal, calling him “an excellent gully fielder” and attributing his recent struggles to challenging conditions and inexperience. “It’s easy to sit in the commentary box and criticise, but these are challenging conditions,” Sridhar stated.
While defending individual lapses, Sridhar did concede that India’s ground fielding needed improvement. “The standard of ground fielding which is exhibited is not acceptable,” he added. He also highlighted the difficult conditions in England, including the cold and the movement of the Duke’s ball, as factors affecting catching.
Sridhar urged patience with the team, emphasizing the difficulty of adapting to English conditions. “Going on the first tour to England and adapting and being a good slip fielder is not an easy task,” he concluded.
First Piper 