IND vs ENG: 'An incredible fight' - Gautam Gambhir hails Ravindra Jadeja's heroics after Lord's thriller
NEW DELHI: India may have fallen short by 22 runs in the third Test at Lord's, but head coach Gautam Gambhir chose to spotlight one silver lining in the defeat - the steely resolve of Ravindra Jadeja, who nearly pulled off a miraculous win in a tense run chase.
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India, chasing 193 for victory, slumped to 112 for 8 before Jadeja, the World No.1 ranked all-rounder, produced a fighting unbeaten 61 off 181 balls. With only the tail for company, he added 35 runs for the ninth wicket with Jasprit Bumrah (5) and another 23 for the last wicket with Mohammed Siraj (4), dragging India to within touching distance.
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In the dressing room, Gambhir's message to the team was clear: Jadeja's effort was nothing short of inspirational.
"That was an incredible fight. Fight from Jaddu, that was absolutely brilliant," Gambhir said, lauding the left-hander's grit under pressure.
Exclusive | First look of the Old Trafford pitch
Captain
Shubman Gill
echoed Gambhir's admiration during the post-match press conference.
"He is one of India's most valuable players. The skill set that he brings with his bowling, batting and fielding - he is someone that is very rare and hard to find," said Gill.
"The way Jaddu bhai has batted, I think it's a very proud effort.
The experience that he brings in - it was just tremendous to watch. The character and courage that he showed was tremendous."
Jadeja's fighting spirit also drew praise from teammates and support staff.
"Jaddu bhai is extraordinary - in fielding, in bowling, and now in batting. He makes runs in every important situation for the team. It's very difficult to find such a player," said Mohammed Siraj.
India vs England: India fall short at Lord's, England lead series 2-1
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate highlighted Jadeja's evolution as a batter.
"His defence is rock solid now. Watching how he's developed - the consistency and calmness in the last two Tests - he really looks like a proper batter."
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak added, "He normally comes out with something the team needs in challenging conditions. He's really, really valuable to the team."
With two Tests remaining, India trail the series 1-2 - but Jadeja's Lord's heroics may just be the spark they need for a comeback.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Why Ben Stokes and Indian cricket should now handshake Ravindra Jadeja in respect
After a net session, before the Old Trafford Test, Ravindra Jadeja, while walking to the team bus, had tapped his index finger on his temple. This was his way of answering a query about his phenomenal run-making spree in England. His match-saving hundred in the fourth Test on Sunday had come on the back of four successive 50s in the previous two Tests. Was he trying something new or had he added some new strokes to his game? 'No … it's about leaving the ball in England,' the all-rounder would say. Over his 13-year long international career, Jadeja has left many balls, especially the curved one that life keeps throwing at him. Now he is enjoying the rewards of the years of patience. For a cricketer with non-existence PR, no real backer, no godfather or even a mentor – Jadeja has had a miraculously long career. His unfaltering fitness, constant skill update and his capacity to bounce back has made him outlast the game's poster boys and brand ambassadors. Jadeja has been sidelined, undermined, written-off and a few months back he was about to be left out of all Indian teams for good. But the all-rounder didn't make noise, or get stories planted or make his angst public. Jadeja's world is his cricket, family and the farm house where he nurtures and rides his favourite horses. Those in the know say that, earlier this year, post the Border Gavaskar Trophy loss, Jadeja was to be given the golden handshake. Along with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli; plans were in place to politely tell him that his days are over. The inputs from the earlier team management hadn't been laudatory. Jadeja could be dispensed with – that was the message on the sticky note that the last set of decision-makers left behind. It was the intervention of the present set of coaches that gave Jadeja one more chance, it is learnt. Post BGT, when picking the team for ICC's 50-overs tournament, his name wasn't to be in the Champions Trophy side. After a discussion among the present team management, Jadeja got a reluctant nod. His name was the last to be added to the Champions Trophy squad. And as it has happened so often in his career, this was all that Indian cricket's greatest survivor, needed. Whenever the curtains threaten to fall on his career, Jadeja changes the script and lives to tell the tale. A formidable performance with the ball at Champions Trophy was to be followed by his Gary Sobers-level runs in England – only the great West Indian has 5 scores of 50 plus in England from N0. 6 or lower in a Test series. Once again at 36, Jadeja, for now, is the team's indispensable member. After the Lord's near-miss, the Indian skipper Shubman Gill gave 'rare' praise to his team's senior-most player. 'He is one of the most valuable players in India. The experience that he brings in, the skill set that he brings with his bowling, batting and fielding is very rare … the kind of composure that he showed is tremendous … ,' the captain had said. Such words haven't been used for this one-of-a-kind cricketer who has served Indian cricket silently for years now. From being the main all-rounder who helped Virat Kohli win the under-19 World Cup in 2009 to the Great Escape at Old Trafford in 2025, Jadeja has a staggering body of work. In between there are his Player of the Tournament achievements in Champions Trophy 2013, many Man of the Series performances in Tests and winning the IPL with a six and four. But still he wasn't projected as a star. Somehow, over the years, Jadeja wasn't taken seriously by fans or the teams he played for. In teams of the past, he was one of the boys or the friend to the captain. Once on the Kapil Sharma comedy show, Virat Kohli was asked – 'Kaun sabse jyada phekta hai (Who tells tall tales the most?'. The answer was Jadeja. Dhoni once called him 'Sir Jadeja' in his tweet and that would inspire a million funny memes and give him a title he hates. 'I hate being called Sir. If you wish, call me Bapu, that's what I like. This Sir-Var, I don't like at all,' he had once said. These days Jadeja gets treated as Sir in the dressing room. Unlike his position in the Indian team led by MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma; Jadeja 2.0 is the distinguished senior of the team. He is among the few players who is seen having long discussions with coach Gambhir. In Shubman's team, Jadeja is an example to emulate and an influential voice in the dressing room. Unlike others, he hasn't positioned himself as some 'captain without a captain's armband.' The other day during a press conference on this England tour, he was asked if he ever aspired to be a captain. He almost broke into a chuckle and said 'that time has gone, I have been playing cricket from 13 years now.' Strangely such has been the timing of his career that he often gets overshadowed by the stars he plays with. As an all-rounder, Jadeja would score 300 plus scores in first-class cricket but the main run-getter of his domestic team Saurashtra would be Cheteshwar Pujara. He would be Dhoni's trusted go-to player but Suresh Raina would be designated Man Friday. He would be India's main spinner for years but somehow it would be R Ashwin who would be called the spin spearhead, thinking spinner and match winner. Jadeja's numbers were better than Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Bishan Bedi but 'greatness' was not bestowed on him. On this England tour, the team doesn't have the towering presence of the just retired mega-stars and that's why the shadow that hid Jadeja has lifted. Over the years, Jadeja has got maligned as the selfish cricketer who doesn't work towards the team cause but bats to keep his position safe in the team. It is said that in tough tight games, Jadeja would expose the tailenders to the bowling and stay unbeaten. On this England tour, Jadeja has squashed that narrative. At Lord's, he methodically farmed the strike when batting with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to take India so close to an unlikely win. At Old Trafford he enhanced his image. This was an inning that in a way defined Jadeja. Very early in the innings, Joe Root dropped him at slips. Jadeja rarely wastes a second chance. Not making a fuss over it, Jadeja would mentor Washington and also listen to him. He has inside him a unique kind of aggression. The only manifestation is when he turns his bat into a sword and swirls it around. Like most kids in Jamnagar, the region where a King still rules, Jadeja has grown up hearing stories of valour. He often mentions the 12th century Sorath Chudasama king Ra Khengar on his social media. 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India.com
22 minutes ago
- India.com
IND vs ENG 2025 4th Test Handshake Saga: Ben Stokes was behaving like a 'spoilt kid'. says star India cricketer
England captain Ben Stokes argues with Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja on Day 5 of 4th Test in Manchester. (Photo: IANS) The fourth Test between India and England ended in a draw at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester on Sunday. It was just the second draw in the 'Bazball' era on England soil under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. However, the thrilling clash which ended with a heroic display by the young Indian team ended on a sour note on the final day. With the final hour starting the 4th Test and India only four wickets down, England skipper Ben Stokes approached the two India batters in the middle – Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – with an offer to call off the game as a draw. But Jadeja and Sundar refused the offer as both of them were approaching well-deserved centuries. Stokes was not at all pleased that his side had to spend more time in the middle, even as Jadeja and Sundar approached personal milestones. 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Ben Stokes will regret that moment — and that frustration only tells you how much this new-age Indian batting line-up has unsettled England throughout the series,' the former India batter added. No personal milestones before team's goal for Ben Stokes: Jonathan Trott Manjrekar's English counterpart Jonathan Trott also chipped in on the 'handshake' controversy on the final day. Trott revealed that Stokes gesture was a common practice in England in Test cricket. 'I am not sure if it was necessary, but the common practice — certainly here in England — is that if you're offered the opportunity to finish the game early, it's usually more about the game situation than personal milestones. From Ben Stokes' perspective, no personal milestone comes ahead of the team's goal. In this case, India's goal was to secure a draw, and they achieved that,' JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott said. 'So for England, the expectation was that India would shake hands and walk off with 80 not out — that would normally suffice. But I can also understand the other side. For someone like Washington Sundar, who has batted so well, giving up the chance to score a debut hundred is not easy. You never know when another opportunity will come. So, I understand both viewpoints. England are probably a little frustrated but that's natural. What this does, though, is set things up nicely for the next Test. It's going to be spicy, and I'm looking forward to it,' he added. 'England bowlers performance is very worrying' Even after leading Team India by 311 runs in the first innings, England bowlers failed to bowl out Shubman Gill's side in the Manchester Test. English bowlers got the perfect start with two wickets in the very first over of the Indian innings but only picked up two more wickets for better part of two days. 'England tried everything, didn't they? They can't say they didn't give their best. But for me, the concern lies in the quality — and as an England fan and former player, with the Ashes coming up and this series on the line, it's worrying. England bowled 142 overs and managed just two wickets on a Day 4 and 5 pitch where the ball was keeping low. Both wickets came in the first over. That's slightly concerning because they had two bites at the new ball when India were under pressure, yet couldn't capitalize. 'Looking at India, though, we've discovered another strong left-handed batter and a quality all-rounder in Washington Sundar — just 25-26 (years old). He can excel in both disciplines and looks like the heir apparent to Ravindra Jadeja whenever he decides to hang up his boots. Sundar has batted magnificently, and he seems capable of playing for a long time. This makes India's selection tricky going forward, but it certainly makes the team a lot stronger,' Trott said.
Mint
22 minutes ago
- Mint
Ashwin calls out Englands 'double standard'; cricket fraternity back India
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