When You Look At The Fielder…: Sunil Gavaskars Honest Take On Virat Kohli-Yashasvi Jaiswal Mix-Up In Boxing Day Test

Jaiswal, who made a breezy 118-ball 82, was way short of his crease after a mix-up with Kohli (36) while attempting a quick single and it gave Australia a decisive breakthrough on the second day of the fourth Test. 

The 75-year-old Gavaskar felt that Kohli and Jaiswal could have avoided attempting the “risky” single.

“It would have been a quick run, and somebody like Virat Kohli would definitely have made it. But the thing was, he looked at the fielder. When you look at the fielder, when you turn, you’ve lost that vital second. Your balance is completely off. And it would have been a tight run,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

“I think at that stage, why do you need to take a run that carries an element of risk? You’re batting well, runs are coming. At that stage, the risk was not really necessary,” he added. 

Gavaskar also mentioned that Kohli could have completed the run if had fully committed himself to it “only because Kohli is such a fantastic runner” between the wickets.”

The horrible mix-up led to Jaiswal’s run out and it also affected Kohli’s concentration, who then fished at a delivery outside off-stump to return to the pavilion. 

Meanwhile, former Australia batter Justin Langer explained why it was risky run. 

“I thought it was a risky run because Pat Cummins is a brilliant athlete. Even if he hadn’t picked it up, in the head of Pat Cummins, he would have gone for the non-striker. It would have been close, but I thought it was a risky run,” Langer said. 

“At that stage of the game, there was no need for it. They were on top. They had it absolutely under control. As fast as he is, I thought it was too risky a run to take. I love seeing guys drop and run hard, but that was a risky run. I think that’s what Virat was saying,” he added. 

Gavaskar also feels seasoned off-spinner Nathan Lyon will “come into play on the third day”.

“He hasn’t had much of a role to play in the entire series, but now, with what we saw from Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja bowling, they were getting the ball to grip, turn, and maybe get a little more bounce as well,” he said. 

“So Nathan Lyon will certainly enjoy bowling to the left-handers. There are three left-handers now, two at the crease, with Washington Sundar still to bat. He will probably be used a little more,” he added.