India’s rising batting star, Yashasvi Jaiswal, suffered a disheartening start to the second Test against Australia in Adelaide. Facing the very first ball of the day-night match, he was clean bowled by Mitchell Starc, a dismissal that underscores a worrying trend in his young Test career: a significant vulnerability against left-arm pace bowling.
Starc’s delivery, a 140.4 kph inswinger that moved late, proved too much for Jaiswal. The young batsman attempted a flick but completely missed the ball, leaving him plumb leg before wicket. The decision, made swiftly and without review after a brief consultation with KL Rahul, marked another frustrating encounter with a left-armer.
This was not an isolated incident. In fact, this was the second time in the series Starc has dismissed Jaiswal for a golden duck. While Jaiswal bounced back impressively in the Perth Test with a stunning 161 in the second innings after a first-innings failure, the Adelaide dismissal throws a stark spotlight on a persistent weakness that could hinder his progress at the highest level.
The pattern of dismissals against left-armers is deeply concerning. Beyond Starc, South African quick Nandre Burger has consistently tormented Jaiswal. During India’s tour of South Africa in 2023-24, Burger dismissed Jaiswal three times, twice in the Centurion Boxing Day Test (caught behind for 17 and 5) and once in the Cape Town Test during India’s pursuit of a modest 79 runs. Even though he managed a quick-fire 28 in that match, the dismissal once again highlighted this vulnerability.
Analyzing Jaiswal’s record against left-arm pacers paints a stark picture. In his burgeoning Test career, he’s faced only four left-arm quicks – Starc, Burger, Marco Jansen, and Raymon Reifer. While Starc and Burger have proven particularly effective, dismissing him with regularity and limiting his scoring potential, Jansen and Reifer have also presented challenges. Against Jansen, he only managed 8 runs off 16 balls, and against Reifer, a meager 4 runs off 7 balls.
Here’s a breakdown of his numbers:
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Mitchell Starc:
51 runs off 78 balls, 2 dismissals*
Nandre Burger:
21 runs off 36 balls, 3 dismissals*
Marco Jansen:
8 runs off 16 balls*
Raymon Reifer:
4 runs off 7 ballsThe statistical evidence strongly suggests a technical flaw in Jaiswal’s approach against left-arm pace. Opposition teams will undoubtedly continue to exploit this weakness, making it crucial for Jaiswal to identify and address the issue before the remaining matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The upcoming battles against Australia’s experienced pace attack will be a critical test of his ability to adapt and overcome this challenge. His potential is undeniable, but unless this vulnerability is addressed, his future Test success could be severely hampered.
