Jaiswal's struggles vs left-arm pacers: Analysis reveals why IND opener is yet to crack the code

Jaiswal's average record vs left-arm pacers decoded [Source: AFP Photo]

India needed Yashasvi Jaiswal to stay for a longer period of time in the second innings of the Guwahati Test, but the left-handed star had a disappointing outing as Marco Jansen yet again made him his bunny and Jaiswal was dismissed for 13 off 20 balls to push India closer to defeat in the Test.

Throughout his short international career, Jaiswal has carved a name for himself with impressive performances in Tests, but against South Africa, the opening batter has struggled and the Test series against the Proteas reveals shocking details.

Jaiswal's struggles against left-arm pacers

For some reason, Jaiswal has looked good against all types of bowlers, barring the left-armers. He has a clear weakness against them and the South African seamer, Marco Jansen exploited it to perfection in the Guwahati Test.

(Jaiswal vs left-armers)

• As the data suggests, Jaiswal’s struggles against left-armers are there to be seen and the numbers suggest that despite having a prolific Test career, the Indian star has a chinks in his armour.
• He has faced 109 balls from them and has scored 63 runs, with an average of just 10.5. Moreover, the left-armers have dismissed him six times in Test career, showcasing his vulnerability against them.
• Moreover, Jansen, in particular has been Jaiswal's biggest nemesis and the data reveals an interesting fact.

Jaiswal vs Jansen: A one-sided Test battle

(Jaiswal vs Jansen in Tests)

• Jansen has dominated against Jaiswal and the numbers reveal the details. He has scored 42 runs, but has also been dismissed thrice against the Proteas pacer, with an average of 14.
• The trend followed in the ongoing series as South African captain, Temba Bavuma, had a clear game plan against the Indian opener as he deployed Jansen to take care of the matters and the seamer always delivered the goods.

Why Jaiswal struggles against left-arm pacers?

Every batter has a weakness that the bowlers tend to exploit, and for Jaiswal, that weakness is left-arm pacer. There are a couple of key reasons why the Indian opener has not found a way to tackle them and that has hindered his career.

• He has the tendency to play expansive cut shots early in his innings, but his back foot doesn’t go anywhere and hence, he is not able to reach the height of the ball, which often leads to an outside-edge towards the keeper/slip fielder.
• He plays cut short to deliveries that are even close to his body, and this is how Jansen dismissed him in the Guwahati Test match, as the batter chose the wrong shot for that particular delivery.
• He has struggled a bit on bouncy pitches and this was the case in Guwahati. The surface had something for the pacers, and Jansen used his height to advantage as the seamer generated extra bounce, catching Jaiswal off-guard and inducing the edge.

Conclusion

While Jaiswal is India’s present and future in Tests and has an impeccable record in red-ball cricket, his struggles against left-armers are well-known and this was how Jansen tormented him throughout the tour. The pacer was ready with his plan against Jaiswal and dismissed him multiple times in the series.

His inability to pick the right lines and lengths for a cut shot is hampering his career and this is something the Indian opener has to work on.

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