The anticipation is building as England and India are set to cross swords at Lord’s with the series tantalizingly poised at 1-1. Lots of strategies must be put in place, and people are wondering what the composition will be for both teams. Amidst all this, there is one player whose role could come under scrutiny and be critical is Ravindra Jadeja ace all-rounder for India. Ravindra Jadeja has had a good outing with bat, but yet to hit wicket-taking strikes with the ball.
Ravindra Jadeja is the senior-most member of this Team in terms of age and experience, whether in batting or bowling. It is time he leads from the front and performs as a senior in the side and not just as a contributor only. He should also play and be part of the leadership group.
With Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin retired from Tests and Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane out of reckoning, Ravindra Jadeja remains the only active member from the OG class. He is performing decently but more with the bat. His lack of taking wickets hurt India in Headingly while the others covered it up at Edgbaston. He needs to take more wickets and ease the burden on the pacers.
Can Ravindra Jadeja Don the Role and Perform for India at Lord’s?
Ravindra Jadeja has been part of 3 England tours starting from 2014 and has played at Lord’s twice. So, his experience of playing at Lord’s should be invaluable to his teammates that have no experience playing at the Mecca of Cricket. More than performance, we know Jadeja carries an aura and personality with him.
The question is, can he show that aura and aggression that Virat Kohli used to show and carry the team forward? Shubman Gill is new and learning on the job and will play his first Test at Lord’s. It is the seniors like Jadeja and KL Rahul who has got to pump up the team. KL Rahul does not have that aura which Jadeja has as a rock star.
Coming to his performances so far, he was brilliant with the bat scoring 89 & 69* in both the innings although his tactics in the second innings baffled us. It might have been the team call to bat cautiously and take time out of the game which meant Jadeja was defending. So, we can give him the benefit of doubt on that front.
With the ball, India will want Jadeja to pick more wickets and help the pacers out. He is looking to contain batters which is his job but with pitch aiding some spin in Edgbaston and with so many runs to play with, Jadeja ought to be more attacking and getting wickets. Jadeja was bowling too many negative lines to English batters. He got 0 wickets in the first innings and managed to get 1 wicket in the second innings. He was disappointing at Leeds as well.
With the series all square and 3 matches to spare, Jadeja will want to create an impression in the match with both bat and ball and help India win in Lord’s again. It’s not going to be easy as spinners won’t get that much purchase at Lord’s. But he should hold one end up and help the pacers rotate from the other end. He should bowl tight lines and lengths. If he starts taking wickets, it will be great and bonus for India and should lead the bowling attack alongside the returning Jasprit Bumrah.
Ravindra Jadeja and the Lord’s connection
Ravindra Jadeja has played at Lord’s twice and on both the occasions India has managed to be on the winning side winning in 2014 under MS Dhoni and in 2021 under Virat Kohli. As we know, India has won only 3 games at Lord’s with the first one coming under Kapil Dev in 1986. So, having Jadeja in playing XI could be a good omen for India if we are to go by facts and figures.
Due to Jadeja’s experience of playing at Lord’s, it will help the other bowlers and batters to do well just learning from him. Ravindra Jadeja came into the 2014 Lord’s Test on the back of a heated incident with James Anderson in Nottingham which was the venue for the first Test match of the series.
Ravindra Jadeja was motivated to do well and perform for his side at Lord’s as he was the lone spinner in the side ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin who was benched. He did not do anything with the bat but picked up a couple of wickets with the ball which included the wickets of Joe Root and James Anderson playing the perfect role of supporting act.
When it came to batting in the second innings, India were in a spot of bother but Ravindra Jadeja played a crucial counter-attacking innings of 68 runs off 57 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also scored 52 in that innings. When it came to bowling, Jadeja got a wicket and then was involved in the final act of the match as he ran James Anderson out direct hit at the striker’s end to give India a historic 95-run win at Lord’s. He played the role of supporting cast really well.
Ravindra Jadeja did not play in 2018 at Lord’s, and India lost that game by an innings. He was back in the playing XI for the 2021 Test match. He scored 40 runs with the bat in the first innings, which was crucial as he batted with the tail and was the last person to be dismissed. With the ball, he delivered 22 overs and returned wicketless. But he contained the runs and allowed the fast bowlers to rotate from one end.
Jadeja failed with the bat in the second innings, and with the ball in hand a second time around, he bowled 6 overs, giving away 5 runs. But he was part of the winning team, and with pace battery firing on all cylinders on that occasion, Jadeja could afford to have returns that he had in this Test match.
But with a young team and new captain at the helm, Ravindra Jadeja needs to lead from the front with the ball and contribute with the bat as and when required if India are to do well at Lord’s. The series is 1-1, and whoever wins this Test will go a long way in winning the series. The game and series is on the line, and a senior player like Jadeja needs to step up to the plate.
What Lies Ahead
The stage is set for the third Test to commence at Lord’s in London from Thursday, 10th of July. This could well be the deciding Test match of the series, being levelled at 1-1. Whoever wins this Test will most likely go and to win the series, as coming back from 1-2 down and winning the last two Test matches could become a bridge too far for either side. Both team would not want to give an inch.
Will England bounce back from Edgbaston defeat and conquer Lord’s? Or will India continue on the newfound form, momentum and confidence to drive home the advantage and manage to take a 2-1 lead in the series? We shall find all the answers to this question when the Test match begins from 10th July onwards. It promises to be another interesting and intense battle between the two teams.
Also Read: ENG vs IND: Jasprit Bumrah’s Return: The Ultimate Game-Changer In India’s Lord’s Test Lineup?