‘If you can’t take it back...’: Ajay Jadeja gives Yashasvi Jaiswal blunt reality check after Asitha Fernando altercation
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‘If you can’t take it back...’: Ajay Jadeja gives Yashasvi Jaiswal blunt reality check after Asitha Fernando altercation originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Ajay Jadeja criticised Yashasvi Jaiswal over his on-field clash with Sri Lanka's pacer Asitha Fernando.
- The Indian opener made helmet contact with the Sri Lankan pacer after being dismissed for 45.
- Jaiswal could face sanction under Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Ajay Jadeja gives Yashasvi Jaiswal blunt reality check after Asitha Fernando altercation
Yashasvi Jaiswal's confrontation with Asitha Fernando on the opening day in Colombo has left the India opener facing scrutiny from both match officials and former players. Ajay Jadeja has been among the most pointed critics, warning the 24-year-old that physical contact takes an on-field exchange into territory no player should enter.
The flashpoint came in the first session at the Sinhalese Sports Club, with Jaiswal dismissed for 45 by Fernando in an over that had already yielded three boundaries to the left-hander. Fernando marked the wicket with a send-off, prompting Jaiswal to turn back and confront him.
The exchange escalated quickly. The pair traded words before coming face to face, with Jaiswal's helmet making contact with Fernando's forehead and a push following, before Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva and other players stepped in to separate them.
Why Ajay Jadeja called out Yashasvi Jaiswal for crossing the line
Speaking on Sony Sports, Jadeja was clear that verbal exchanges are part of the game but that Jaiswal had gone well beyond acceptable limits. He drew a direct comparison with an incident involving the same opener in the previous Test.
"It is dangerous territory. There is no doubt about that. Physical contact is a different thing," Jadeja said. "In the last match, Jaiswal was on the other side. He was fielding, and he said things to Niroshan Dickwella, and we said that banter is nice as long as there is nothing wrong with your language."
The reference was to Galle, where Jaiswal spent several minutes goading Dickwella into playing a big shot, jokingly promising to take him to the IPL if he hit a six. Dickwella was dismissed in the same over, and the Indian fielders converged on Jaiswal in celebration.
Jadeja's point was that a player who dishes it out must be equally willing to accept it. "The same thing happened, but if someone cannot laugh at himself, he shouldn't laugh at others. If you can't take it back, don't say it to others either while standing on the ground," he added.
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What India and Sri Lanka said about the incident
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak conceded that Jaiswal should not have moved so close to Fernando, while framing the episode as a product of the moment rather than intent.
"I think they must have said something to him, and it might have happened in the heat of the moment. Obviously, Jaiswal, I don't think he should have been so close to Fernando, but that happens when you are in the heat of the moment," Kotak said.
Sri Lanka fast bowling coach Ryan van Niekerk declined to be drawn on possible sanctions, passing the matter to the officials. "The verbals are probably an overflow of emotion. I'll leave that to the match referee to deal with," he said.
Match referee Andy Pycroft could examine the incident under Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which covers inappropriate physical contact with another player during an international match. A Level 1 offence carries a punishment ranging from an official reprimand to a fine of up to 50 per cent of the match fee, along with one or two demerit points.
MORE: Jaiswal vs Fernando: Will India opener face suspension for headbutting?
Why Jadeja's warning is one Jaiswal would do well to heed
The substance of Jadeja's criticism is not that Jaiswal engaged verbally, because cricket has always accommodated that. It is the same player who happily dished out an extended send-off to Dickwella days earlier who reacted badly the moment it came back at him, which is a difficult position to defend.
The more serious concern is the helmet contact. Verbal exchanges rarely trouble match referees, but Article 2.12 exists precisely because physical contact removes any ambiguity about whether a line has been crossed.
Jaiswal has built a reputation as one of India's most watchable young batters, and a demerit point picked up in a Test his side already leads would be an entirely avoidable stain on that record.
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