There is a saying: catches win you matches. But the India Cricket Team does not seem to follow that. While many argued that floodlights could have affected catching in IPL 2025, the Indian cricketers seemed to have dragged that poor catching form to the IND vs ENG 1st Test. India dropped as many as six catches, allowing Ollie Pope to score a century and Ben Duckett a half-century while Harry Brook went on to score 99.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Sai Sudharsan were all guilty of dropping chances as India allowed England to score 327/5 in 77 overs by Lunch on Day 3. Jaiswal was the worst with three dropped chances. And add Jasprit Bumrah’s no-ball to Brook, India missed seven chances in the first innings alone. In Headingley, Team India entered the Hall of Shame, recording the most dropped catches in a match in the last five years. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was not happy, calling India’s poor catching very disappointing.
“I don’t think there will be any medal given. T Dilip gives those after a match. This is what was really very, very disappointing. Yashasvi Jaiswal is a very good fielder, but he hasn’t been able to hold on to anything this time,” Sunil Gavaskar said after the end of Day 3.
Butter fingers
In IPL 2025, catching efficiency took a nosedive. All teams combined had a catching efficiency of just 75%. In the IND vs ENG 1st Test at Headingley, it wasn’t very different. Jaiswal, who dropped two catches on Day 2, had to take a special slip catching session from fielding coach T Dilip before the start of Day 3. But it did not help as he dropped Brook on Day 3 again. Many blame the cold English weather for a greater number of dropped chances. But it wasn’t as cold, and it wasn’t the first bad day on the field for India or Jaiswal. Even during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Jaiswal was poor on the field.
Drop 1: Ben Duckett
Duckett’s first reprieve came in the fifth over. While many would argue that it was a difficult chance for Jaiswal, it went down as a missed opportunity. Duckett managed a thick edge off Bumrah’s full delivery. But Jaiswal, who was at the gully at that time, unsuccessfully dived and it went for a boundary.
Drop 2: Ben Duckett
The best chance against Duckett came in the 7th over. As Duckett tried to slash a delivery outside off, he gave an easy catch to Ravindra Jadeja at backward point. But the best fielder in India dropped that catch. Thanks to the dropped chances, Duckett went on to score 62 before Bumrah cleaned him up.
Drop 3: Ollie Pope
Not just Ben Duckett, even Ollie Pope was riding his luck en route his second consecutive century. Yashasvi Jaiswal was once again guilty as he denied Bumrah a wicket with some sloppy catching. In the 31st over, just after Duckett was dismissed, Bumrah created another chance with Pope edging it to the third slip. But Bumrah could only put his hand on the head as Jaiswal dropped the catch. Pope went on to score 106 to punish India’s sloppy catching.
Drop 4: Harry Brook
At the fag end of Day 3, Bumrah had a chance to remove Harry Brook for a duck. Brook’s top edge went straight to Mohd Siraj, and he did catch the ball. But it turned out to be a no-ball. On Day 3, Ravindra Jadeja created a chance when Brook knicked it to Rishabh Pant. But the ball hit Pant’s thumb and he failed to grab the ball. Brook slammed a fifty soon after.
Drop 5: Jamie Smith
Ravindra Jadeja, who had dropped a catch himself, had created another opportunity on Day 3. Jamie Smith tried to come down the track and flick Jadeja. But he could not get enough bat on it. Instead, he gave away a chance to Sai Sudharsan, who was at the short leg. But Sudharsan was not quick enough to react as the ball hit his fingertips and went down. Smith went on to score 40 runs.
Drop 6: Harry Brook
Harry Brook survived for a third time as Yashasvi Jaiswal gifted him another lifeline. Bumrah was denied a fourth time. After the lunch break on Day 4, Brook edged one at third slip for Jaiswal. But all Bumrah could do was close his eyes in disappointment as Jaiswal failed to grab that catch as well. Brook went on to score 99 before Prasidh Krishna removed him.
