Yashasvi Jaiswal's Fielding Woes: Did Hand Strap Contribute to Dropped Catches vs. England? Former India Star Weighs In.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's performance in the field has come under scrutiny after he dropped several crucial catches during the recent Test match against England. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, renowned for his fielding prowess, has offered a possible explanation for Jaiswal's struggles.

Yashasvi Jaiswal failing to secure a catch.

Jaiswal's dropped catches proved costly for India in Leeds, contributing to their five-wicket defeat as England successfully chased down a target of 371 runs on the final day. He dropped four catches in total.

• In the first innings, Ollie Pope edged a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, but Jaiswal failed to hold onto the chance. Pope went on to score 106.
• Jaiswal also gave Harry Brook a lifeline, dropping a straightforward catch at fourth slip off Bumrah's bowling.
• In England’s second innings, Zak Crawley benefited from a dropped chance when Jaiswal, running in from deep, couldn’t complete the catch off Mohammed Siraj's delivery. Crawley went on to score a match-winning 149.

Kaif believes that the strap Jaiswal wears around his hand might be hindering his ability to take catches.

"Why is Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping catches? We are practicing with Duke’s ball, and when we get hurt, we put a strap," Kaif explained in a video.

He elaborated, "In such a situation, the fingers are stuck and there is no free movement. You can’t hold onto the catch because the strap becomes a sponge."

Kaif added, "The ball bounces off it, so that’s the drawback. The natural connection with the ball shouldn’t be lost."

The second Test between India and England will commence on July 2 in Birmingham.