Yashasvi Jaiswal's fiery exchange with Sri Lanka bowler Asitha Fernando after his dismissal on Day 1 in Colombo did not sit well with former India cricketers as they lashed out at the batter, saying that he crossed a line by taking the confrontation beyond words.
Jaiswal was dismissed for 45 in the opening session on Sunday after India opted to bat first, and just when he was walking past the celebrating Sri Lankan unit, he turned back towards Fernando and charged at him after appearing to react to something said during the bowler’s send-off. The two butted heads in an ugly clash before Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva stepped in to intervene.
On an otherwise dominant batting day from India, which saw Devdutt Padikkal score a second straight century in the series to cement his No. 3 spot, Jaiswal's act became the talking point, with experts agreeing that the verbal exchanges that are part of cricket are one thing, but physical contact is another.
Deep Dive
What triggered the confrontation between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando during the second Test?
What do cricket experts say about Jaiswal's actions during the incident with Fernando?
Could Yashasvi Jaiswal face sanctions for the incident with Fernando?
Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja, who was part of the broadcasting panel on Sony Sports for the second Test match, was rather blunt with his words, saying that Jaiswal had crossed the line.
{{/usCountry}}Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja, who was part of the broadcasting panel on Sony Sports for the second Test match, was rather blunt with his words, saying that Jaiswal had crossed the line.
{{/usCountry}}“It is dangerous territory. There is no doubt about that. Physical contact is a different thing,” he said.
Jadeja even pointed towards the incident from the previous game, where Jaiswal had engaged in a banter with Niroshan Dickwella during Sri Lanka's final innings in the match. The veteran cricketer said that if a player is willing to dish out banter, he must also be prepared to take it.
“The same thing happened, but if someone cannot laugh at himself, he shouldn’t laugh at others. If you can’t take it back, don’t say it to others either while standing on the ground,” Jadeja added.
Part of the same panel, Venkatesh Prasad, soekaing largely on the same lines, reckoned Jaiswal should have simply walked away.
“The referee will definitely look into it. I feel Yashasvi Jaiswal took it too far. He should have just walked,” Prasad said.
While he acknowledged that emotions can boil when a set batter gets dismissed, especially after hitting the same bowler for three straight boundaries in the previous deliveries, but said that it did not justify the escalation.
“It happens sometimes when you are playing well and get out to a good ball,” Prasad said. “Also, Jaiswal needed a big innings. Having said that, they might have exchanged a couple of words when he got bowled, but as Jadeja said, he shouldn’t have made it physical, and it looks like Jaiswal took that incident way too far.”
Sanjay Manjrekar, also in the same panel, blamed Jaiswal completely for the act, saying that he was the one who charged at Fernando.
“The guy was on his way to the pavilion when he takes a few steps back and comes close to a fielder. And eventually, I think there was contact with the helmet. Am I right in saying that? I think there was contact,” Manjrekar said.
“If I were the match referee, I would make a serious note of that,” he added. “Because, see that contact. Jaiswal is the one who advanced towards the bowler.”
The ICC Code of Conduct is clear on the fact that there are no grounds for physical altercations on the field. The match referee has yet to review the incident.