Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali praised Ravindra Jadeja for his gritty fourth-innings knock at Lord’s but expressed concern over his lackluster bowling performances in the series. With the series level at 1-1, India and England clashed in a tightly contested third Test at the iconic venue.
Chasing a target of 193, India found themselves in deep trouble at 71/5 and later 112/8. Jadeja, however, fought valiantly, remaining unbeaten on 61 off 181 balls, and almost guided India to an improbable win before they eventually lost by 22 runs. While Jadeja has impressed with the bat, scoring four successive fifties.
Over six innings, he has managed just three wickets, averaging nearly 114 runs per dismissal. Speaking about the experienced all-rounder during a media interaction, Moeen Ali remarked (as quoted by India Today):
“He just knows what he’s doing. I think he’s done it for many years. I think he’s been amazing with the bat this series, obviously. I think with the ball, he hasn’t quite got the wickets, but he does what he does.”
“He’s very tight. He can bowl, but he’s not outstanding… I think now he’s at the peak of his batting. Bowling wise, I think he just doesn’t have the wickets. With the tally, I think he’s bowled well, he just doesn’t have the wickets.”
“Kuldeep Can Make A Difference” – Moeen Ali Urges India To Pick The Spinner
Moeen Ali feels Kuldeep Yadav deserves a place in India’s XI but admits it’s tough to drop Jadeja or Sundar. Despite a strong Test record, Kuldeep has sat out all three matches in the series and has played just 13 Tests since his 2017 debut.
“I would like to see Kuldeep in the team, but I don’t know who for. Washington’s bowled well, Jadeja batted well. So it makes it difficult to bring Kuldeep Yadav in the side. I would like to see Kuldeep in, but I don’t think they can fit him in,” said Moeen Ali (via the aforementioned source).
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