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    STUMP VISION                                                      SEPTEMBER 11, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 52

                          Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Great

                  Paradox: Too Good to Drop,

                         Too Vulnerable to Ignore

              The batter’s statistical slide is stark. Jaiswal’s Test average dipped to 39.21 across

                                 19 innings in 2025, falling further to 18.66 in early 2026

            ARCHAN MEHTA

               n  the  fast-moving  landscape  of  Indian  crick-
               et, few players have announced themselves
            Iwith the sheer explosive brilliance of Yashasvi
            Jaiswal. Blessed with fluid bat speed, fearlessness,
            and a natural instinct to dominate, the young left-
            hander  quickly  went  from  a  promising  domestic
            prodigy to one of the most exciting batting talents
            in world cricket. Yet, cricket has an uncanny hab-
            it of testing even its brightest stars in unexpect-
            ed ways. Today, Jaiswal finds himself in a curious
            predicament:  recognized  across  the  country  as  a
            multi-format powerhouse, he has been largely con-
            fined to Test cricket, the very format where his form
            has recently hit its first severe plateau
                Few young Indian batters have announced
            themselves with such sheer authority. From a
            sparkling 171 on Test debut to a mammoth 712-
            run series against England, a match-winning 161
            in Perth, and twin centuries in England, Jaiswal
            quickly  shattered  expectations.  His  cross-format
            credentials remain staggering: 2,612 Test runs at
            47.49 with seven hundreds, an ODI average of
            71.25, and a searing T20I strike rate of 164.32. Yet   Jaiswal does not need to abandon his natural aggression; he must make it more discerning (ANI Photo)
            an acute paradox has emerged. The multi-format
            prodigy has become a red-ball specialist by default,   the shot without sufficient footwork yields costly   resting Jaiswal to manage Test workloads allowed
            just as his Test game has hit a concerning plateau.  edges to the cordon.                  Abhishek Sharma’s ultra-aggressive powerplay hit-
                The statistical slide is stark. Jaiswal’s Test av-  This  vulnerability  multiplies  against  left-arm   ting and Sanju Samson’s dual wicketkeeping utility
            erage dipped to 39.21 across 19 innings in 2025,   seam bowling over the wicket. Jaiswal averages just   to solidify their places. Jaiswal ended up statistical-
            falling further to 18.66 in early 2026. A subdued   22.22 against left-arm pacers compared to 42.34   ly unmatched, yet structurally displaced.
            series in Sri Lanka (scores of 32, 0, and 45) high-  against right-arm seamers. Bowlers like Mitchell   This  crossroads  demands  tactical  refinement
            lighted that the issue extends beyond poor form to   Starc, Marco Jansen, Nandre Burger, and Vishwa   rather than a complete overhaul. Jaiswal does not
            repeatable technical vulnerabilities. International   Fernando have exploited this blind spot through   need to abandon his natural aggression; he must
            bowling attacks have isolated clear patterns in his   steep bounce and sharp angles across his body.   make  it  more  discerning.  Exercising  tighter  judg-
            approach, turning natural attacking instincts into   When tall left-armers hit a back-of-a-length zone,   ment outside off stump, reserving the cut exclusive-
            predictable traps.                           Jaiswal’s hands often reach away from his body while   ly for genuine width, and refining his trigger move-
                At the heart of this struggle is his reliance on   his feet remain static, leading to early dismissals.  ments against left-arm angles will restore his edge.
            the cut shot. Honed through relentless repetition   The irony is that Jaiswal has not lost his raw   Addressing physical fatigue and cramping during
            in high-performance camps to develop blistering   ability. His limited-overs records are elite: two cen-  marathon knocks will also protect his concentration.
            power, the stroke has become an overactive reflex.   turies in six ODI innings (116* against South Af-  Great openers are defined by their ability to
            Rather than waiting for clear width, Jaiswal fre-  rica and 110* against Afghanistan) and 2,481 IPL   adapt once the opposition decodes their strengths.
            quently slashes at deliveries in the fourth- and fifth-  runs striking at 152.80. His absence from India’s   Jaiswal’s foundational talent is undeniable, but re-
            stump corridors. While he has scored 226 Test runs   white-ball starting lineups is the byproduct of struc-  taining his stature requires rapid technical recal-
            via the square cut, he has also recorded 63 false   tural  gridlock  rather  than  performance  deficits.   ibration. The talent is still there. The question is
            shots attempting cut variations. When bounce and   In ODIs, the established Rohit Sharma & Shub-  whether Jaiswal can reinvent the method before the
            lateral movement are present, attempting to force   man Gill tandem locked the top order. In T20Is,   method becomes the reason the talent is left behind.

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