'Owns a hammer but punches nails with fist': Ravindra Jadeja hit with stinging verdict after flop outing in Leeds
Ravindra Jadeja faced scrutiny after an underwhelming bowling performance against England in the first Test, where India failed to defend a 371-run target. Jadeja, who was the lone spinner in India's XI at Headingley, remained wicketless in the first innings, while managing just one scalp in the second. The left-arm spinner came under the scanner for not using the rough on the final day when India had the task of defending a 371-run target. He managed to get the big wicket of Ben Stokes, but for the majority of the innings, he remained quite ordinary with the ball. The English batters didn't hesitate to play the reverse sweep against him as he also failed to land the ball in the rough on a consistent basis. Ravindra Jadeja claimed just one wicket in Leeds Test.(Action Images via Reuters)
Former England cricketer Mark Butcher didn't mince his words while criticising Jadeja for not using the rough well and allowing England to take control of the chase
'I could not believe how poorly he bowled, really. I'd likened it to owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist instead – not landing the ball in the rough at all until, basically, it was too late. That was extraordinary, really," Butcher said on Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast. Also Read | Sachin Tendulkar tells Prithvi Shaw 'wapas track pe aaja'; Master Blaster refuses to give up: 'I still believe in you' 'Ravindra Jadeja has all the experience in the world, somehow…'
Butcher criticised the senior player for a major oversight, pointing out that with his experience, he should have exploited the rough patches more effectively against the left-handed batters.
'You talk about experience, and he has all the experience in the world. Somehow, it didn't seem to click to him or Rishabh Pant, the keeper, that it might be a good idea not to keep missing the rough all day to the left-handers," he said of the Indian spinner. Also Read | Gautam Gambhir asked to pull Rishabh Pant aside: 'Your lower-order can't contribute, the next time you're at 130...'
Meanwhile, England pulled off a successful run chase on the final day, powered by Ben Duckett's superb 149 and valuable knocks from Zak Crawley, Joe Root, and Jamie Smith. The hosts reached the 371-run target in 82 overs, finishing at 373/5 to seal a five-wicket victory.
India now trail 0-1 in the five-match Test series. With conditions set to change in the upcoming Test, all eyes will be on Jadeja to step up and deliver a stronger performance.
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