Yashasvi Jaiswal’s errors, Shardul Thakur's utilisation, Shubman Gill’s puzzling decisions - India's blunders on Day 3

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s errors, Shardul Thakur's utilisation, Shubman Gill’s puzzling decisions

On a day when India's first-innings advantage began to erode under sustained English pressure, it wasn’t just the bowlers who came under scrutiny. A series of glaring errors in the slips, most notably by Yashasvi Jaiswal, allowed England to claw back into the contest at Headingley on Day 3 of the first Test.

Jaiswal endured a forgettable outing as he shelled three catches, all off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling. The sequence began on Day 2 when he dropped Ben Duckett on 15, a chance that proved costly as the left-hander went on to score 62. Things unravelled further, with two more opportunities — Ollie Pope on 60 (he made 106) and Harry Brook on 83 on Sunday. Brook narrowly missed a century, falling for 99, but the damage had been done.

Congratulations Bumrah!
A no-ball and 3 missed chances stood between you and  wickets. pic.twitter.com/09rJNI9KP0

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— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 22, 2025

Ollie Pope dropped on 62, goes on to get 106. Duckett dropped on 15, goes on to get 62, Brook out off a no ball on 0, dropped on 46 and 82 and scores 99. Do the math. #ENGvsIND

— Deep Dasgupta (@DeepDasgupta7) June 22, 2025

This was the first time since 2019 that India dropped six or more catches in the first innings of a Test. Bumrah himself was on the receiving end of four missed chances, despite which he claimed a five-wicket haul. His bowling deserved better support, not just from fielders, but also in terms of strategy and captaincy.

Jaiswal’s struggles in the slips aren’t a one-off. While he is relatively new to Test cricket, this wasn’t his first misjudgement in the cordon. Against the West Indies in 2023, he had misfielded twice in similar positions.

Also Read | India vs England: Why Jasprit Bumrah has a strong shout to be the best ever

Making his debut as Test captain, Shubman Gill too had a day he would want to learn from. With a sizeable lead in hand and a ball still new, Gill’s decision to remove a slip fielder when England were still under pressure raised eyebrows. Even more puzzling were the prolonged spells for an ineffective Prasidh Krishna and an out-of-sorts Mohammad Siraj, while Shardul Thakur, known for his ability to move the ball, was handed the ball only after the 40th over — and bowled just six in total.

While Gill’s inexperience as a leader showed in patches — particularly in the lack of proactive field placements — it’s important to acknowledge that captaincy at this level demands a steep learning curve. At just 24, and captaining in the absence of several senior figures, he deserves time to find his rhythm.

Also Read | From laughter to cross words – how the Rishabh Pant-Ben Stokes tussle panned out at Headingley

By stumps on Day 3, India found themselves at 90 for 2 in the second innings, holding a lead of 96 runs. KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 47, while Gill was on 6 at the close of play. Jaiswal’s tough day in the field seemed to have taken a mental toll as well — the opener fell for just 4, edging Brydon Carse behind to Jamie Smith. Debutant Sai Sudharsan looked promising during his 30, but fell to a clever trap set by Ben Stokes, flicking to Zak Crawley at midwicket.

England’s resurgence was made possible by a combination of relentless batting, missed Indian chances, and some defensive tactics that let the pressure slip. With two days remaining and the surface beginning to flatten out, India will need a strong batting effort and sharper on-field execution to reclaim the momentum they so nearly lost.