Team India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has finally spilled the beans on what actually transpired between his teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal and a Sri Lankan pacer, Asitha Fernando, during the second Test in Colombo, shedding light on the fiery exchange that caught the attention of the cricket world.
As the Colombo Test ended in a draw after Sri Lanka battled out on the final day, Jaiswal and Fernando’s heated altercation became one of the talking points from the match. Indian opener and Sri Lankan pacer had a fiery exchange of words after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dismissal on the opening day, setting the tone for a series defined by unyielding competitive intensity.
The Sri Lankan players and on-field umpires had to step in in order to avoid any further escalation, eventually separating the two players before physical contact could be made. Yashasvi Jaiswal received a 25% match fee penalty and one demerit point after he was found guilty of breaching Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Jurel Reveals Jaiswal-Fernando Altercation
Dhruv Jurel was one of the witnesses to the heated altercation between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando. The wicketkeeper-batter eventually revealed what led to a war of words between Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando.
Speaking to former India opener turned commentator Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel, Jurel revealed that Jaiswal initially showed restraint while walking back to the pavilion, but turned around after being subjected to a continuous stream of verbal abuse from the Sri Lankan pacer.
“When he got out, he was quietly walking back to the dressing room. He didn’t say anything. If you look at the footage, Jaiswal immediately turned around,” the wicketkeeper-batter said.
“The Sri Lankan pacer was abusing him. Jaiswal told me that he was abusing him nonstop,” he added.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting on 45 off 52 balls when Asitha Fernando delivered the final ball of the 17th over, breaking through his defenses just short of a half-century and capping off a brisk, aggressive knock that had already seen him pepper the boundary ropes three times.
‘You Can’t Abuse Me’
Further speaking on the incident, Dhruv Jurel revealed that Yashasvi Jaiswal made it clear to the bowler that while standard celebratory send-offs are part and parcel of international cricket, personal verbal attacks cross a definitive line.
“Jaiswal told him, ‘It’s okay. You took my wicket, you can show normal aggression, but you can’t abuse me,'” Jurel recalled.
Yashasvi Jaiswal had a mediocre Test series against England, scoring just 77 runs at an average of 25.67 in three innings. Team India won the Galle Test by 165 runs, and the draw in Colombo ensured that the visiting side successfully wrapped up a dominant series victory across the two-match tour.
This was India’s first away Test series win under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, with the visitors completing a 1-0 series victory over Sri Lanka.