Jadeja praised for bringing India near victory, but Gavaskar laments insufficient risk-taking
In a tense and closely-fought battle at Lord's, India's number seven batsman Ravindra Jadeja displayed an admirable defensive performance, scoring an unbeaten 61 as the team chased 193 for victory. However, despite his valiant effort, India ultimately fell short by 22 runs.
Jadeja's innings was characterised by a cautious and defensive approach, with the all-rounder refusing to offer England any chances and focusing on survival rather than accelerating the run rate. After hitting a six off Chris Woakes to show his intent, Jadeja and the tail went on for 107 deliveries without scoring another boundary, highlighting the conservative approach adopted.
The pitch did not offer much assistance to the English bowlers, but Jadeja refrained from taking risks against them. India's overall team strategy in the fourth innings was defensive, with the top order collapsing early and subsequent batsmen failing to capitalise or score at a faster pace.
Experts and former players, including Sourav Ganguly, suggested that India missed a valuable opportunity to take a 2-1 lead in the series. A more attacking and positive intent could have given Jadeja more support from the other end, building around his innings.
Sachin Tendulkar, India's greatest batsman, expressed disappointment with the team's loss, stating "So near, yet so far." Sunil Gavaskar, another batting great, suggested that a partnership of 60-70 could have made a difference.
Jadeja's innings helped India recover from 112-8 at lunch, but a more proactive approach from the middle order and tailenders could have led to a more productive partnership, increasing India's chances of winning or at least drawing the match.
India's top-order collapse and crucial mistakes, like run-outs and extras conceded, left the team with too steep a hill to climb. If these errors had been minimised, Jadeja's innings could have been matched with a more productive partnership, potentially securing a victory for the team.
As the series now stands, England leads 2-1 with two matches remaining. The fourth Test of the series will commence at Manchester's Old Trafford on July 23.
Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjay Manjrekar, and other cricket enthusiasts have shown interest in analysing Jadeja's innings in detail. Tendulkar acknowledged the efforts of Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj in the match, commending their resilience under pressure.
[1] AFP, 2025. [2] ESPNcricinfo, 2025. [3] Cricbuzz, 2025.
Despite India's promising start in the fourth innings at Lord's, a more proactive approach from the middle order, as suggested by experts like Sourav Ganguly, could have built around Jadeja's gutsy 61 and potentially secured a victory for the team.
India's conservative strategy, highlighted by their inability to score another boundary for 107 deliveries, combined with crucial mistakes in the top-order and errors like run-outs and extras conceded, left them with a difficult mountain to climb, as highlighted by cricket analysts like Sachin Tendulkar.
