Former Indian World Cup-winning bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu questioned Ravindra Jadeja’s approach on the final day of the Lord’s Test against England. Sandhu said the all-rounder could have taken a more aggressive approach on the last two balls and he could have trusted Jasprit Bumrah a bit more.
Jadeja was rotating the strike on the fourth ball of the innings to give strike to Bumrah and Siraj. Sandhu reckons the left-hander could have looked to hit boundaries at the fag end of the over if the field had come up.
The southpaw scored a gutsy knock of 61 runs off 181 balls, but India fell short by 22 runs in the end.
Balwinder Singh Sandhu wrote in his column for Mid-Day, “Coming to the final moments, Ravindra Jadeja is someone I’ve known since his U-19 days at the National Cricket Academy. Even back then, he showed maturity beyond his age. He’s a smart cricketer, calm under pressure, but this time, maybe the fear of failing, or the pressure of not trusting the tail, got the better of him.
“If only he had trusted Jasprit Bumrah a bit more – especially when Bumrah was defending so well – and resisted taking that single off the fourth ball to retain strike. Had he backed himself to finish it in those last two balls, with the field up, it was a perfect moment to go for the boundary.”
Sandhu lauded India’s performance as they were able to put up a fight despite being reduced to 112-8 in the run chase of 193.
“India did not lose because of a lack of skill or fight. They played well, but lost out on strategy and decision-making in crunch moments. England, on the other hand, held their nerve, stuck to their plans and executed better when it mattered most.
“I believe that a lack of effort or intent can be questioned, but honest mistakes, made while trying to do the right thing, should be understood and accepted. This team is young and learning. Mistakes are part of the journey. Criticism should be constructive. And when a player gives it his all, but still falls short, he deserves empathy — not judgement. Only then will they grow. Only then do boys become men in Test cricket,” he wrote.
The fourth Test match between England and India will be played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, from July 23 onwards.
