Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has pointed out a technical flaw in Yashasvi Jaiswal’s batting following the young opener’s dismissal for just two runs in the fifth Test against England. Despite scoring a half-century in the fourth Test, Jaiswal hasn’t looked in consistent form since his impressive 87-run knock during India’s first innings in the second Test. On Thursday at The Oval, the returning Gus Atkinson managed to remove the 23-year-old cheaply, adding to India’s early woes with the bat.
Gavaskar observed that Jaiswal’s front-foot movement has not been as solid in recent games and noted that the left-hander appears to lack confidence at the crease. He emphasized the need for someone within the team to sit down with Jaiswal and address some technical aspects of his game.
“There’s a bit of uncertainty and maybe a lack of confidence creeping into Jaiswal’s game. After scoring a hundred in the first Test, he hasn’t looked very fluent,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports.
“That’s possibly why he’s not getting his front foot far enough forward to smother this return. But he’s a good player. I think if someone sits with him and works on a few technical aspects like getting his front foot forward and not opening up his shoulder too much it could help,” he added.
“Right now, his back shoulder is going towards first or second slip, which makes it hard for the bat to come down straight. If his shoulder stayed more towards the wicketkeeper and first slip, the bat would come down straighter,” he further added.
Jaiswal has accumulated 293 runs in nine innings so far in the ongoing Test series against England. His performance includes two half-centuries and a century, averaging 32.55. While these numbers are respectable for an overseas series, expectations from Jaiswal remain significantly higher. Whether he can deliver a match-defining innings in the final match remains to be seen. At stumps on Day 1 of the fifth Test, India stood at 204 for 6, with Karun Nair unbeaten on 52 and Washington Sundar on 19. The pair has stitched together a crucial 51-run partnership, offering some much-needed resistance. As play resumes on Day 2, India will aim to build on this stand, while England will look to wrap up the Indian innings quickly, continuing their strong bowling performance.