Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra offered a nuanced take on the heated exchange between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando during the opening day of the second Test, saying both players could be justified in their approach to the confrontation.
The incident occurred in the 17th over of India’s innings after Fernando dismissed Jaiswal. The two exchanged words before Fernando moved his head towards the Indian batter, with Jaiswal leaning forward and the pair making head-to-head contact.
The incident sparked debate after veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle questioned whether Jaiswal had crossed the line and suggested that the batter should have simply walked away.
Chopra acknowledged Bhogle’s “old-school” perspective but also pointed to the repeated banter and send-offs Jaiswal has faced during the series.
‘Can both of them be right?’
“Harsha Bhogle comes from an old-school philosophy of cricket. He felt that Yashasvi Jaiswal got too close to Asitha Fernando and, in a heated moment like that, the right thing to do is to simply walk away. But Jaiswal chose to react. Now I’m wondering: who is right? Can both of them be right?” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“There is constant banter and plenty of send-offs aimed at Jaiswal, and sometimes it crosses the line and goes below the belt. Jaiswal, though, is someone who likes to give it back and take on the challenge,” he added.
Chopra also viewed the incident through the lens of a changing sporting culture, saying younger players are increasingly willing to confront situations immediately rather than let them pass.
“This is a new way of doing things. Otherwise, I would say, let Yashasvi go as well, let him leave, and after a few days, the matter would be over. But our youth, this new generation, says, ‘Why should I wait? If you have said something about me, I will prove right now, today, whether it is right or wrong. I will show you.’ That’s the new way of actually approaching the world and content,” he said.
Jaiswal and Fernando both punished
Chopra ultimately maintained that there were two sides to the incident, with both players having their own perspective on the exchange.
“Both the guys have shared their opinions in this banter. Both are correct in their respective positions,” he concluded.
Jaiswal and Fernando were subsequently fined 25 per cent of their match fees and handed one demerit point each for the incident. Neither player had committed a previous offence in the 24 months before the incident.