Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for a four-ball duck against New Zealand A in the second unofficial Test
Fraser Sheat exposed a possible technical weakness as Jaiswal was late bringing his bat down while defending
The Indian opener faces questions over his red-ball form ahead of the upcoming Test series against New Zealand
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s latest failure against New Zealand A has revived questions about his red-ball technique. The left-handed opener was dismissed for a four-ball duck in the second unofficial Test at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Saturday. Seamer Fraser Sheat trapped him lbw in the first over, but the manner of the dismissal was as concerning as the score.
A Fraction Late When Defending
Sheat bowled a good-length delivery around off stump that angled back in. Yashasvi Jaiswal moved forward to defend but was late bringing his bat down. The ball beat the bat and struck his pad. Jaiswal is comfortable attacking and playing the cut, but can get caught late when switching to defence. That delay can leave him exposed to deliveries moving towards the stumps, particularly when bowlers target the off-stump channel.
The answer is not to take away his attacking instinct. He needs a dependable defensive response to negotiate the opening spell without losing the balance and timing behind his strokeplay. New Zealand A tested that uncertainty early in his innings.
Form Becoming A Concern
The duck adds to a difficult red-ball run. Jaiswal scored 17 and 5 in the previous four-day match against New Zealand A and has not registered a half-century in the format since August. He has now made four ducks in nine innings since the Sri Lanka tour, including a 13-ball duck for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy season opener.
The timing is far from ideal. India's two-Test series against New Zealand begins on November 19 in Wellington, with Christchurch hosting the second Test. Jaiswal has time to work on the issue, but tightening his defensive response will be important if he is to rediscover consistency before the senior series and build his confidence at the crease once again.
