It was supposed to be the day Yashasvi Jaiswal turned his overnight 173 into yet another double hundred. Instead, it turned into heartbreak at the Arun Jaitley Stadium as the young opener fell run-out on 175 after a moment that drew shock from fans and commentators alike. What made it worse was the way it happened. It was a needless mix-up with skipper Shubman Gill, a split second of misjudgment, and a potential milestone gone begging.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s run out
The incident took place early on Day 2 when Jaiswal drove Jayden Seales straight to mid-off and instinctively called for a single. His partner, Gill, looked up to check the ball’s direction and rightly stayed put. By the time Jaiswal realized Gill wasn’t responding, Tagenarine Chanderpaul had fired in a sharp throw to wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, who whipped off the bails. A visibly dejected Jaiswal walked back, slapping his helmet in frustration, murmuring that it was his call.
Jaiswal was running at the danger end. However, he had already covered more than half of the crease by the time Gill turned around and declined the run. Jaiswal found himself in a no man’s land. On Day 1, Jaiswal registered his seventh century in Tests in the IND vs WI 2nd Test, his third one at home. After scoring just 36 runs in the 1st Test, the southpaw stamped his authority on the visitors with a 145-ball ton.
Not Gill’s fault?
Speaking on JioHotstar, former India captain Anil Kumble squarely placed the blame on Jaiswal while also questioning the umpire’s handling of the decision. Kumble said that there was never a run there, as the ball went straight to the mid-off fielder.
“It was Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fault. He wouldn’t have made it even to the non-striker’s end because it went straight to the mid-off fielder,” he said. “There was absolutely no chance. The only doubt was whether the keeper had full control of the ball when the bails came off. But the umpire didn’t even refer it to the third umpire, and that to me was a bit of a surprise.”
The dismissal ended what had been a stunning innings from the 23-year-old, who had dominated the West Indies bowlers throughout Day 1. His 175 came off 258 balls, laced with 22 boundaries, and showcased both patience and poise. It also marked his seventh Test hundred as an opener in the World Test Championship (WTC), taking him past Dimuth Karunaratne and Usman Khawaja on the list and second only to retired Rohit Sharma among players.
