Yashasvi Jaiswal began the Headingley Test on a positive note by scoring a memorable debut century in England, but by Day 5 end, fan mood had sharply turned against him. Although he scored a calm 101 off 159 balls in India’s first innings, Jaiswal’s fielding performance overshadowed his batting excellence.
India Drops Eight Catches, Jaiswal Misses Four
India’s hapless fielding cost them, and the team let go of as many as eight catches over five days. Jasprit Bumrah, who bore the brunt of the bowling, had a five-wicket haul in England’s first innings but was clearly irked with the constant mistakes on the field.
Four of those drops came off the hands of Jaiswal, adding to India’s bowlers’ woes and inviting stinging criticism from the commentators and the fans alike.
Jaiswal’s Dance Enrages Fans Despite Defeat
To add insult to injury, Jaiswal infuriated fans by celebrating with a dance in front of the English spectators during Day 5, even as India approached a heavy defeat. His celebration in mid-field was grating for Indian fans already vexed at his fielding mistakes.
While social media hailed Jaiswal initially for his maiden ton, fans soon turned against him after the drops and what was seen as bad sportsmanship by many.
India Suffers Historic Defeat Despite Scoring Five Centuries
India’s Headingley excursion culminated in a five-wicket defeat to England, who chased down a record 371. Even as they fired with the bat—with centuries for Rishabh Pant (2), KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Jaiswal himself—India made unwanted history. They became the first Test team in history to lose a match even as five players hit centuries.
The second lower-order collapse of the match by the team sealed their fate, handing England a 1–0 advantage in the five-Test series.
India Seeks Comeback at Edgbaston
With defeat, India also starts their newest ICC World Test Championship mission on a losing note. With Shubman Gill as captain, the visitors now have a week to recharge and prepare for the second Test, which will be hosted at Edgbaston.