Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra criticized India’s fielding after the third day’s play against England in the first innings of the opening Test at Leeds, Headingley on Sunday. After making many errors in the field on Saturday, the visitors could not show any improvement on the third day’s play.
Harry Brook was given two more chances with Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping him when he was 46 and 83 runs respectively.
On the second day’s play, Ben Duckett was given two lives, Ollie Pope was dropped on 62 and Harry Brook was dismissed on a no-ball towards the fag end. Thus, India bungled a total of six catches and if they had taken their chances, they could have been bowled out England for less than 350.
“It sounds cliche, catches win matches, but it’s true. There are disciplinary things among which some things are in your hands. Holding catches is in your hands. Improving your fielding is in your hands. Working hard and training are in your hands,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“If you get a good ball to which you get an outside edge, we can all get it, but fielding and overstepping, these are the things where you have to look within, and that is where I think the Indian team has let themselves down massively. We are talking here, but, obviously, they would be hurting because they dropped catches and bowled no-balls,” he added.
Brook went on to score 99 runs after he received a reprieve and Chopra highlighted Jaiswal dropped a straightforward chance off Bumrah’s bowling.
“England are a good team, and if you have to beat such a team, you have to correct the disciplinary one-percenters. He (Harry Brook) got a reprieve, and then he batted well. We are not grabbing chances at all. Yashasvi Jaiswal generally used to be a good fielder, but one of the catches was absolutely straightforward,” he said.
A total of five catches were dropped on Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling as the pack leader didn’t receive support from his fielders.
“Bumrah only bowled the no-ball, but how many catches will you drop off Bumrah’s bowling? Rishabh Pant also dropped a catch. It was a difficult catch, of course, but the catch should have been taken. Yashasvi Jaiswal started as a good fielder, if you remember the Bangladesh series. He has been a good gully fielder, but he is dropping too many catches,” Chopra observed.
India ended the third day’s play at 90-2, leading by 96 runs.
