The on-field confrontation between India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando during the second Test in Colombo had become one of the talking points of the series. Nearly a month after the incident, India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has revealed what Jaiswal told him about the exchange.The incident took place during the opening session on Day 1 of the second Test. Jaiswal was batting aggressively on 45 and had already struck Fernando for three boundaries in the over before the Sri Lankan pacer dismissed him with the final delivery of the 17th over.Fernando celebrated the wicket with an animated send-off as Jaiswal began walking back towards the dressing room. However, the Indian batter soon turned around and walked back towards the Sri Lankan pacer, leading to a heated confrontation.
‘He didn’t say anything’
The two players came face-to-face before teammates and the Sri Lankan captain intervened to separate them. Jurel has now claimed that Jaiswal told him Fernando had been verbally abusing him continuously following the dismissal.“When he got out, he was quietly walking back to the dressing room. He didn’t say anything. If you look at the footage, Jaiswal immediately turned around. The Sri Lankan pacer was abusing him. Jaiswal told me that he was abusing him nonstop,” Jurel told former India batter Aakash Chopra.According to Jurel, Jaiswal did not object to Fernando celebrating the wicket but drew the line at personal abuse.“Jaiswal told him, ‘It’s okay. You took my wicket, you can show normal aggression, but you can’t abuse me,’” Jurel added.
‘He never starts it’
Jurel, who is also Jaiswal’s teammate at Rajasthan Royals, described the opener as someone who does not generally initiate verbal exchanges but is willing to respond when provoked.When Chopra suggested that Jaiswal is a “feisty guy” who gives it back when someone provokes him, Jurel agreed.“100 per cent. He will never start it; I have never seen him do that. He is always in the zone; he is always thinking about his batting. But if you provoke us, we will also return it,” Jurel said.The confrontation eventually required the intervention of players from both sides, bringing an end to the tense exchange on the field. Both Jaiswal and Fernando were subsequently sanctioned by the International Cricket Council for breaches of its Code of Conduct following the incident.
