England vs India: Ravindra Jadeja, the greatest fighter for his team in his time

Indian Express

15-07-2025

Harry Brook placed an arm of comfort around Ravindra Jadeja, crouched on the grass near the 22-yard strip. Jadeja responded with a nod and half a smile. A brave smile of defiance that hid the hurt simmering inside him. As he slowly made his way back to the pavilion, Ben Stokes gave him a tight warm hug. The Indian emerged from the embrace with the defiant smile on his again.
Television cameras zoomed in on his face, to see if he had shed a tear, or if his eyes were moist. A raging stillness of the pupils met them. Fighters don't weep, flinch or shed excessive emotion, even if the battle has been lost. And there has been no bigger fighter for India in Test cricket than Jadeja in his time. No one refuses to surrender as vehemently as he does. On Monday, too, he remained undefeated, literally and metaphorically.
In a sense, Jadeja alone could have produced a knock of such stirring character as his unconquered 61 off 181 balls. There has never been a moment when Jadeja has not given everything he had in the cause of victory. On Day 5 at Lord's as well, he walked into a storm, resisted and repelled it. He restored the hopes of the faithful, and breathed belief into his Nos 10 and 11.
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
Some would question Jadeja's approach. Should he have been more aggressive? Should he have counter-attacked? But like a wizened, pragmatic schemer aware of his flaws and strengths, the left-hander chose the path that best suited him and the team; to win the game with dour defence and through grit and graft. The ball was soft, there were men on the fence, he was running out of partners, and the deck was tired. A reckless stroke could have sealed India's defeat. A younger, carefree Jadeja would have uncorked strokes of daring. The wiser version desisted.
The surface, by then, was benign, but the match situation was such that the mind played more tricks than the pitch. But there was hope, because it was Jadeja. Because he would fight till the end. Because in every fight, he sees the fights that have made him.
It's the story of his career, even life. The un-defeat-able. Off the field, he flaunts his royal heritage and regal tastes. The thoroughbreds and luxury cars; the mansions and sprawling farmhouses. He puts pictures on X and Instagram in full Rajput attire. On the field, he wields the bat-sword celebration.
But he is not a pampered prince born with a silver spoon, and came through a life of hardships, his mind steeled by the death of his mother, a nurse at a government hospital. To understand the prince when he was a commoner, and the spirit that has made him a great of the game, a rewind is seldom irrelevant.
More gifted but less tenacious men would have withered en route. In his late teenage, traditionalists accused him of taking life too casually, of getting intoxicated by sudden fame and fortune; he was easy fodder for memes and trolls, some perceived him as the embodiment of all the ills that fill the IPL milieu, some pundits questioned his utility and demeaned his skillset.
Jadeja didn't seem to care, and dismissed the memesters as 'fukre' (idlers). Rather, he just kept fighting, an advice of his father — 'Ground mein perform karo, bus baat khatam (Perform on the field and the chatter ends there) — always hissing between his ears, and emerged as the ultimate survival artist of his time. He had his moments of doubt and vulnerability, but subdued the demons with his characteristic doggedness.
He has lasted 13 years in Test cricket, bagged more wickets than the holy spin quartet, scored more runs than several specialist batsmen, mustered a better batting and bowling average than the most decorated all-rounder of the country (Kapil Dev), outlasted more celebrated peers of his time – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara – and played under five different coaches.
Not only because he was gifted, but also because he fought every battle he could to stay relevant, to recalibrate his craft, to assert his value and virtuosity. Every successful cricketer would have battled their own battles to reach the top, but Jadeja emanates the feeling that no one has fought harder than he has.
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
He does not gloat over his success. He carries his greatness lightly, even with a sense of detachment.
'People keep judging you all the time, they say that's all he will do, he will not improve, he has limitations. They don't understand a simple principle that with time, one improves. I was the worst when I started. So I was just saying that I will improve and once I do, your opinion about me will change. That's when you will say 'This is the all-rounder India wanted',' he once told this newspaper.
Few dispute his stature these days. The scepticism and sarcasm have given way to affection and respect, as evidenced by the overflowing sympathy after India's heartbreak.
Jadeja lost the fight in the final session at Lord's, but not because he stopped fighting. Rather, the match would be remembered because he fought till the end. This is how posterity would remember him too. The prince who fought.