IND vs ENG: Why Cheteshwar Pujara says don't criticise Ravindra Jadeja but celebrate him
That same Saurashtra middle-order was differently arranged at Lord's on Monday. Pujara was in the commentators box as an expert, Kotak was in the Indian dressing room as the batting coach and Jadeja was in the middle just 22 runs away from a miracle.
Jadeja didn't quite succeed but the all-rounder's 181-ball 61 was an embodiment of courage and patience – the two qualities that India's top-order can borrow from him the next time they pad up to chase a tricky fourth innings total.
Fights through to fifty, but the sword stays in its sheath.#RavindraJadeja knows the job's not over🤞🏻#ENGvIND 👉 3rd TEST, DAY 5 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/DTsJzJLwUc pic.twitter.com/Hig4Y61i8N
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 14, 2025
Pujara doesn't agree with the nit-picking over Jadeja's slow crawl when batting with the tailenders. He also doesn't see strength in the argument that the No.10 and No.11 couldn't be expected to survive for that long. Or that Jasprit Bumrah (54 balls), Mohammed Siraj (30 balls) – were sure to fall in case the game stretched.
'He couldn't have scored faster on that track. I felt that it was because the ball was soft, and the pitch was on the slower side. I guess, Jadeja would have thought that the tailenders were batting well and the team was getting close to the total. And once they were a little closer he would have taken his chances. I thought he was batting well. It was very difficult to score runs on that pitch,' says Pujara. Actually, Jadeja had already started taking chances. Just before Siraj got out, he had slashed at a ball that flew over the slips for four, and swung Ben Stokes to backward square-leg boundary.
Pujara had one suggestion, though a difficult one. 'The only thing he could have done better is to look to score down the ground. Like there was a gap between mid-off and cover,' he says.
Things might have been different had Nitish Reddy not got out, just when Jadeja might have thought about taking that next step. Batting with tailenders comes with its own share of tightrope walks, even if Jadeja has been chaperoning India's valiant bowlers who get invariably lumped with the task of salvaging top order crumbles on tricky wickets. The top 5 lasted 118 balls, while the bottom 5 fought for 322, but Jadeja who walked in at 71/5 haplessly watched KL Rahul, Washington Sundar and Nitish lose their wickets, and was in one right corner having to balance not folding up and still inching towards the target.
The aftermath saw the likes of Herschelle Gibbs question the Indian batsmen's intent in pushing for a win and Sanjay Manjrekar wondering if Jadeja ought to have taken more risks. But even his fiercest critics would admit that India were 112/8 chasing 193, and losing a partner hung like a constant sword on his head.
Fight mode: ON ⚔#RavindraJadeja isn't here to survive he's here to dominate.#ENGvIND 👉 3rd TEST, DAY 5 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/DTsJzJKZ4E pic.twitter.com/TdYhxtz7lH
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 14, 2025
It would have taken a natural big hitter to feel confident of clearing the field with this soft ball as Stokes had deep-set fielders. One risk that went awry from Jadeja would have killed the contest right there and then. And with the slow ball and the slowness of the pitch, it wasn't easy either to punch and push for twos. Stokes had smartly set the fielders deep, but not always on the boundary to allow easy two's.
Jadeja has nurtured patience as a virtue, having to curb his natural hitting T20 instinct for the team. With growing years, Jadeja's batting numbers, especially abroad, have seen a significant spike. In the last 5 years, his batting average is 46. On this tour, with three not outs, he averages over 100 in three Tests. Pujara, who has seen his long-time batting partner since they played under-14, gives the reason.
'For the last five years, he has improved, especially abroad. He has been working hard. If you notice, even on the match day, he does his net practice. He has shown improvement when playing pace,' says Pujara about the cricketer who has been his team mate in the u-14 Saurashtra team, the u-19 India World Cup squad, for Ranji Trophy and senior Team India.
The other big difference is maturity. 'Earlier it was the case of him not converting his good starts to big scores at the highest level. See one can't get 300 in first class cricket without skills. But you need to convert, like you do at first-class level, at international level,' says Pujara.
The other big change is Jadeja's comfort level in facing seamers. 'He is now able to face seamers and spinners equally well. Earlier, he was a good player of spin but lacked a little bit of strength against seamers, which is not the case now,' says Pujara.
The other noticeable aspect of Pujara's batting in England has been his ability to leave balls. Many times, it would seem that the ball has missed Jadeja's bat and he has been beaten by the movement. But replays would show that was not the case – Jadeja was in control of the shot and had read the ball's trajectory right.
'That is because he is looking to play close to the body. He doesn't go at a ball. He plays close to the body. And that is the reason, he lets the ball come to him. And this is also the reason why he plays the ball under the eyes. This comes naturally as you have decided to play the ball close to the body,' says Pujara.
The one-time India No.3 recalls that record Ranji partnership with Jadeja. 'I would normally bat at number 3 or 4. He came later on. But we ended up scoring at the same rate since that was the time we had to declare,' recalls Pujara. Did they talk, exchange ideas? 'Nothing much. I mean, it was more of casual talk,' he says. Even back in the day, Jadeja had a mind of own, that of a batsman.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Divya Deshmukh challenges Magnus Carlsen, drops ice-cold verdict after defeating ‘senior' Koneru Humpy: ‘The final was…'
Divya Deshmukh's recent victory at the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup perfectly reflected India's rise in the sport. What made it more special was that it was an all-Indian final with Divya taking on veteran Grandmaster Koneru Humpy. Before the final, Divya didn't even a single GM norm, and then fast forward to her victory, she became India's 88th Grandmaster. Divya Deshmukh spoke about her wish to face Magnus Carlsen. Divya's victory comes after D Gukesh's win at the World C'ships in December last year, when he beat Ding Liren. After Magnus Carlsen won his first World Championship title in 2013, beating Viswanathan Anand, Indian chess faced a short tenure of monotony. But now the new generation of chess players in India has been challenging for top honours in international events, heralding the beginning of another glorious chapter. Divya Deshmukh challenges Magnus Carlsen Speaking to Dainik Jagran recently, Divya opened up on her desire to face Magnus Carlsen one day, which showcased her hunger and desire. 'If I get a chance to play, I have to play with world number one chess player Magnus Carlsen. He has been a world champion and will learn a lot from playing against him,' she said. Meanwhile, she also gave some insight into her World Cup victory. "Talking about the tournament, all the players who participated in it were senior to me. I had faced an experienced player in the first round. Experience in such tournaments is the work. The final was going on, everyone was in tension, but I was just trying to focus on myself,' she said. Only 19 years old, she added, 'I have been playing chess since I was five years old. As far as I remember, I played my first move against my father, but I had to face defeat in this match. After that, I grew up slowly and today I am at this point.' She has also qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, courtesy of her berth in the World Cup final.
The Hindu
23 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Maharaja Trophy matches shifted from Chinnaswamy Stadium to Mysuru
Big-ticket cricketing activities in Bengaluru suffered a jolt on Thursday as organisers of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 (August 11 to 28) announced the shifting of all matches from M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to Mysuru. The decision comes two weeks after the Justice (Retd.) Michael D'Cunha Commission report — inquiring into the June 4 stampede outside the Stadium that caused 11 deaths during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL title-winning celebrations — declared Karnataka cricket's nerve-centre 'unsafe for mass gatherings' in its present state. With the investigation ongoing, and the case related to the tragedy being heard in the Karnataka High Court, it is understood that the Bengaluru city police denied permission for Maharaja Trophy games here. Calls to KSCA president Raghuram Bhat and joint-secretary Shavir Tarapore went unanswered. Sources said that the breach of fire-safety regulations that led to BESCOM cutting off power supply to the Stadium and the start of the monsoon session of the Karnataka legislature from August 11 were also cited as reasons. The development calls into question the conduct of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup matches in the Garden City. Four fixtures, including the tournament-opener between India and Sri Lanka on September 30, a league-stage tie between India and Bangladesh on October 26 and one of two semifinals on October 30 are scheduled to be held here. Interestingly, the International Cricket Council announced the full schedule just over 10 days after the stampede. On July 11, organisers had announced that the Maharaja Trophy would be held behind closed doors even in Bengaluru. Mysuru too will have no fans in attendance. In fact, it is the first time in three years that the event will feature contests played outside the State capital, and only the third time in 12 seasons of Karnataka's flagship T20 competition — after 2015 and 2016 — that the entire tournament will be held outside Bengaluru. In 2023 and 2024, it had become a Bengaluru-only affair because of broadcasters' push and the presence of the state-of-the-art drainage system that comes in handy during the Southwest monsoon.
The Hindu
23 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Beginner's luck or the start of a new chapter in Indian cricket?
Shubman Gill sat at the head table, a gentle smile playing on his lips, indulgently fielding one question after another. Every time a query pertained to Mohammed Siraj, seated to his left with the Player-of-the-Match medal dangling proudly from his neck, the smile grew wider. Except once when he parroted a questioner by saying 'Siraj bhai', he refrained from using the Hyderabadi's name. Just 'he' or 'him'. True respect, Indian style? Where taking a revered person's name is taboo? Mutual admiration That Gill has great respect for Siraj is no secret. It's a respect that has grown over time; the duo has played a lot together, for India-A and for Gujarat Titans, where Gill is the captain and Siraj his principal battering ram. Gill and Siraj form a mutual admiration society. The skipper is in awe of his pacer's ability to keep turning up, ball after ball, without losing discipline or intensity (a former England paceman asked this writer during the Oval Test, 'Will it be okay if I shake his hand? Will he respond? He is just like a bowling machine, unbelievable.'). Siraj likes that he has his captain's ear, that he can walk up and ask for and get fields without question. It's an alliance certain to serve Indian cricket with distinction going forward. The pair made its Test debut in the same game, on Boxing Day at the MCG against Australia in December, 2020 – Gill because Prithvi Shaw was dropped after the 36 all out meltdown in Adelaide, Siraj owing to the broken forearm sustained in the same game by Mohammed Shami which ended his interest for the remainder of the tour. Both had series to remember, like the Indian team and Indian cricket itself. As an opener, Gill finished with 259 runs at 51.80 with two half-centuries, including a vital 91 in the second innings of the final Test at the Gabba, which India won to clinch an epic 2-1 series triumph. Siraj's 13 wickets were the most for his country; like Gill, he too left his imprint in Brisbane with five for 73 in Australia's second innings, the first of his five Test five-fors. Gill has since gone on to greater things — not that Siraj hasn't — culminating in the Test captaincy coming his way in May following the retirement of Rohit Sharma. At 25, he has the world at his feet, now more than ever following a tremendous 2-2 draw in England in one of the most storied Test series of all time. Siraj is older at 31, but he isn't going anywhere in a hurry. With due respect to Jasprit Bumrah, he will remain Gill's most potent and reliable weapon when India plays outside the continent, which won't be for another 15 months when they travel to New Zealand for two Tests. It wasn't as if Gill was talking up Siraj at The Oval on Monday afternoon only because he knows how crucial Siraj will be going forward. It was just another example of a captain comfortable in his skin after just five games in charge, happy to share the credit around in his moment of collective and individual glory — he was also adjudged India's Player-of-the-Series by England head coach Brendon McCullum, for 754 runs with four hundreds. Gill conceded that he had been under pressure to prove himself with the bat at the start of the series. Since that maiden tour of Australia which was such a roaring success, the right-hander has struggled for impact whenever India have played outside Asia. In 18 innings between Brisbane 2021 and Headingley 2025, Gill had a highest of 36 in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Caribbean and England combined. His request for a drop down to No. 3 from the tour of the West Indies in July 2023, which won the nod of Rohit and then head coach Rahul Dravid, was proving to be a bit of a disaster with just two 30-plus tallies in 10 innings when he turned things around with 104 against England in Visakhapatnam. How much time would he take to settle in at No. 4, a position now vacant because of Virat Kohli's retirement? Despite Kohli's very average run in Tests in his last five years, those were big shoes to fill. The shoes got even bigger when one considered who Kohli's predecessor at No. 4 was for two decades – a certain Sachin Tendulkar, Test cricket's most prolific run-scorer and century-maker. As if the pressure of having to correct a disturbing run of scores outside Asia wasn't immense enough, Gill had to double-justify his place as India's long-term No. 4. Making a statement No problem, the skipper announced with thunderous effect, backing up 147 in his first innings as Test captain and India's No. 4 with 269 and 161 in the next game in Birmingham. After two Tests and four innings, he had a ridiculous 585 runs; his 430 runs at Edgbaston meant only Graham Gooch (456) had scored more runs in a Test. If ever there is something like a dream start… It was impossible for Gill to match those standards for the duration of the series and there was an inevitable slump — just one score of more than 25 in his last six innings — but the one meaningful effort came in a match-saving cause in Manchester in the second innings of the fourth Test. His six-hour-19-minute 103, allied with K.L. Rahul's 90 and unbeaten centuries by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, helped India negotiate 143 third-innings overs and come away with an honourable draw on which India built outstandingly with their series-levelling six-run heist at The Oval earlier in the week. Gill's final tally might not have done justice to the numbers he had stacked up 40% of the way into the series, but 754 is hardly trifling. Among Indians, only Sunil Gavaskar (774, West Indies, 1971) has more runs in a single series; Gill also left Gavaskar behind for most runs by an Indian captain (the Little Master had made 732 against West Indies in 1978-79) while courting elite company alongside Gavaskar and Don Bradman for the most hundreds — four) by a captain in a Test series. Player-of-the-Series medal justified? Hmmm, maybe… The bigger examination, though, was always going to be of his captaincy acumen. His man-management, sure, but also how he would handle his bowling resources. In many ways, because Bumrah was never going to be available for all five Tests, Gill was starting with one hand tied behind his back. No matter what, he would have had to field a different bowling combination in every game, which meant a constant revisit of plans, the lack of continuity a huge deterrent to Gill formulating an organic captaincy style. Daunting proposition For even a seasoned skipper to know right at the start of the series that he would not have his best bowler, who is also the top bowler in the universe currently at least, if not of all time, to fall back on in every single game is a daunting proposition. Gill must have wondered how he would cope when the time came. To his credit, he did a pretty good job of it. India winning both Tests in which Bumrah didn't figure is a coincidence and no more than that, but without Bumrah, Gill was forced to dig deep into his reasonably limited experience of First-Class captaincy, and he wasn't found wanting. In the early stages, and particularly during the fourth innings of the first Test when England made a target of 371 appear reasonably miniscule, Gill wasn't in his element. Far from it. First when openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were flaying the bowling while adding 188, or later with Joe Root and Jamie Smith making merry, Gill looked a little lost and helpless, his cause not helped by his bowlers bowling on both sides of the wicket and making it impossible for him to set even run-denying fields. But by the end of the series, and especially towards the closing stages of the Oval classic on the final morning, he had found a method that he was most comfortable with. Even to the last ball of the two overs in which Gus Atkinson was on strike with an injured Chris Woakes, his dislocated left shoulder in a sling, at the non-striker's end, Gill chose not to bring the field in to deny Atkinson the single and therefore the strike at the start of the next over. His logic was simple — the ball was doing plenty and he'd rather keep the field out and force England to get the remaining 17 runs in singles rather than whittle down the target with a couple of boundaries, which were very much on if the field came in. One can argue with that line of thought, but at least a fair amount of thinking had gone into the approach that his bowlers and the captain himself were most comfortable with. 'Any team in that position, there is always a lot of pressure on the batting team, because it's a one-ball game to get a batter out,' Gill reasons, taking a cue from what he would be most uncomfortable doing in that situation as a batter. The continued overlooking of left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was a sore point, especially in the games where Bumrah didn't play and because the pitches for most of the series wore a dry look, but in the final analysis, his faith in batting depth paid off. Gill isn't unaware that his captaincy will be judged by the results, but he is losing no sleep over it. 'When your decision go well, people obviously praise you; when they don't go well, I am aware that there are going to be shots taken at me, which I am fine with,' he rationalises, 'because at the end of the day, I know that I made a decision which was the best for our team.' Should 2-2 be put down to beginner's luck? Or is it the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket? Watch this space, shall we say?
