 "'He could have taken a chance': Ravindra Jadeja’s fighting knock at Lord’s sparks debate over approach")
India’s third Test at Lord’s ended in heartbreak as they fell just 22 runs short of chasing 193 against England, despite a gritty final-day effort from Ravindra Jadeja. The all-rounder’s unbeaten 61 off 181 balls kept India alive even after their mini collapse in the first session of Day 5, but it wasn’t enough.
After India were left reeling at 82/7, and later 112/8, Jadeja found unlikely support from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The last two partnerships faced 212 balls and added 58 runs, frustrating England’s bowlers deep into the final session. However, India were eventually bowled out, giving England a 2-1 lead in the series.
Kumble criticises Jadeja’s approach
Jadeja batted with extreme caution despite having Bumrah and Siraj at the other end and knowing well that they won’t be able to support him for long. This approach sparked debate among former players and fans. Anil Kumble suggested that Jadeja should have taken more calculated risks.
“The two bowlers he could have potentially taken on were Chris Woakes, who is slightly slower in the air, and then Bashir and Joe Root. I know they’re off-spinners taking the ball away, but it wasn’t turning square. So there wasn’t a lot to worry about in terms of spin or the outside edge. Jadeja has played on tougher pitches and against better bowling. I thought he could have taken a chance," Kumble said.
“You want to take those risks. Yes, there were a few runs he rightly declined because Bumrah and Siraj were at the other end, but he could have chanced it a bit more,” he added.
Gavaskar and Gill defend Jadeja
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, on the other hand, defended Jadeja’s strategy, arguing that batting with the tail demanded extra caution. Captain Shubman Gill also backed Jadeja’s approach, explaining that India were hoping to survive until the second new ball, just a few overs away before Siraj got out in that bizarre manner.
“I think it was dictated by the fact that he was batting with the lower-order batters. He was trying to farm the strike as much as possible. Also, at that stage, you’re wary of playing aerial shots on that kind of pitch. And the Indian team tends to take the game deep — that’s what he was aiming for,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Every five or six runs they scored, you could feel the pressure building on England. A small partnership of 30–40 runs could have made a huge difference. We were quite optimistic when Siraj was batting — if we could just get to the second new ball with 12–15 runs left, anything could happen. A couple of boundaries and suddenly, you’re back on top,” Gill said at the press conference.
With England now leading the series 2-1, India will need to regroup quickly ahead of the fourth Test in Manchester starting 23 July.
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