South Africa pace legend Dale Steyn believes Yashasvi Jaiswal may need to temporarily cut down on his trademark cut shot, just as Sachin Tendulkar famously abandoned the cover drive during a Tour of Australia, after the young India opener fell to the same mistake yet again on Day 4 of the second Test in Guwahati.
Jaiswal was dismissed for 13 in India’s second innings, edging Marco Jansen while attempting a cut to a short-of-length delivery outside off, a recurring problem against the tall left-arm pacer. Speaking on Cricket Live, Steyn said Jaiswal’s instinctive reliance on the shot is becoming costly.
“It’s his go-to shot, and breaking that instinct is tough. When you see the ball in your zone, you go for it. But maybe he needs to consciously cut down on it,” Steyn said.
He recalled how Sachin Tendulkar once removed the drive from his game to counter Australia’s conditions.
“Jaiswal may also need to say: ‘Unless it’s in a specific area, I won’t play it. In this zone, I’ll trust my defence.’”
India, needing an improbable 549 runs to save the Test, needed a solid opening partnership. Instead, Jaiswal flashed at a rising delivery, edging it to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.
Steyn explained that facing a left-arm angle makes the shot even trickier.
“He’s used to right-armers taking the ball across him, so the cut feels natural. But with Jansen, the ball often straightens instead of going across. That’s why he gets bowled, caught behind, or caught in slips.”
Former India captain Anil Kumble also called Jaiswal’s dismissal “avoidable,” noting that Jansen had tested him with short-pitched bowling from the start.
“It was a poor shot. Jaiswal has scored many runs with the cut, but it also gets him out,” Kumble said.
He added that Jaiswal’s habit of falling back creates a false sense of width.
“He thinks there’s room when there isn’t. The transfer of weight must happen for a proper cut shot. This time, the ball took the outside edge straight to the keeper.”
