The impact of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dropped catches in the defeat at Leeds was seen in the training session ahead of the Edgbaston Test, as a major change was spotted during the fielding drills as the team prepares for the second match of the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, set to begin on Wednesday (July 2).
For those unversed, Jaiswal hit a century in the series opener, marking a historic moment by scoring a century on his first innings on English soil. However, he had a nightmare time on the field as he dropped three catches in the first innings and another in the second, which proved costly for India as they lost the game by five wickets.
While Jaiswal has largely impressed since his debut and was considered a long-term option at Gully with some stunning catches, his recent drops have forced a rethink in the Indian camp. It is worth remembering that Jaiswal has a similar poor outing in the field during the MCG Test against Australia last year, where he dropped three catches in the second innings as India lost a golden chance to put pressure on the hosts.
As per a report by RevSportz, Gautam Gambhir and the team management have decided to take Jaiswal out of the slip cordon. During training, Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy were seen alternating at the gully position left vacant by Jaiswal and the second slip. Karun Nair was spotted fielding at first slip while captain Shubman Gill retained the third slip slot.
The same report also revealed that Gambhir had an animated chat with Jaiswal while showing techniques of short catching. It is expected that the 23-year-old will now field at leg slip or a close-in fielding position like forward short-leg or silly point.
Nitish’s inclusion in the slip cordon also hints he will return to the playing XI with Shardul Thakur expected to make way.