Former India spinner Anil Kumble raised concerns over Ravindra Jadeja’s tactics on Day 5 of the third Test at Lord’s. Jadeja, who came in with India struggling at 71/5 in their pursuit of 193, showed resilience with an unbeaten 61 off 181 balls. But after Nitish Kumar Reddy fell at 112/8, leaving Jadeja as the last recognized batter, Kumble felt it was time for the all-rounder to change gears.
Despite tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj facing 84 balls between them, Jadeja stuck to a defensive approach. India were eventually dismissed for 170, falling short by 22 runs and conceding a 1-2 lead in the five-match series. Reflecting on Jadeja’s approach after the match, Kumble remarked (as quoted by NDTV Sports):
“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.”
He further added:
“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.”
Sunil Gavaskar defends India’s strategy after Jadeja’s slow innings on final day
Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar backed Ravindra Jadeja’s cautious approach with the tail, noting that the Indian team typically aims to stretch the game as long as possible. On Day 5 of the Lord’s Test, the 36-year-old all-rounder managed just four fours and a six during his 181-ball innings.
“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,” said Gavaskar (via the aforementioned source).
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