India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for a two-ball duck during the three-day practice game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Ground in Colombo.
Opening the batting alongside KL Rahul on day two of the fixture after the SLC XI declared on their overnight score of 363 for eight, Jaiswal was dismissed caught at gully off the second delivery of the innings from left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando. Offering no feet movement to the delivery well outside the off-stump channel, Jaiswal flailed his bat wide from his body to offer a simple catch.
The Mumbai southpaw, who has established himself as one of the opening mainstays in the shortest format, has struggled with his issues against left-arm pace across the last two seasons. Coupled with his affinity to employ the cut shot often, Jaiswal has fallen prey to the left-armers with his inability to shy away from his favoured stroke.
As per data, no batter has recorded more runs with the cut than Jaiswal since his Test debut – nearly 400 runs – even as the dismissal count (seven) is firmly building up.
Jaiswal has been dismissed nine times in Test cricket against left-arm pacers, three of which occurred in his last four ICC World Test Championship (WTC) innings against South Africa at home last year. On all three occasions during the series that India lost 0-2 to the Proteas, Jaiswal fell prey to South Africa quick Marco Jansen. Besides Jansen, Australia’s Mitchell Starc and South Africa’s Nandre Burger are the other left-armers who have dismissed him thrice in Test cricket.
Jaiswal last featured in the one-off Test against Afghanistan outside the WTC cycle, scoring 24 runs.