Former Australian batter Greg Chappell has raised questions on Ravindra Jadeja’s approach in the run-chase of 193 runs in the second innings of the Lord’s Test against England. Jadeja scored an unbeaten knock of 61 runs off 181 balls, but he could not get India over the line.

Chappell said Jadeja should have taken calculated risks when he was batting with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. While Bumrah survived 54 balls, Siraj played 30 balls before he was dismissed. 

Jadeja adopted a sedate approach, but it didn’t work for the team. The experienced batter mostly took a single on the fourth ball of an over to keep Bumrah and Siraj away from strike.

Chappell, the former Indian head coach, said a message should have been delivered from the dressing room to Jadeja to get the job done for his team.

“The truth is, Jadeja was the only recognised batter left. If India were to chase down the target, he had to take calculated risks. His job wasn’t to leave balls and collect singles – it was to win the match. That clarity should have come from the dressing room, from the captain. He needed to be told directly: “You are the man who has to get this done. The tail’s job is to hang in there with you, but you must go for the win,” Greg Chappell wrote in his column for ESPN Cricinfo.

“The Lord’s Test also provided a telling moment with the way Jadeja was managed late in the match. Left with the tail, Jadeja did what many specialist batters do in that situation: he shielded the tail, farmed the strike, and played conservatively. On the surface, it was a disciplined innings. But was it the right one?” he added.

Chappell recalled England’s all-rounder Ben Stokes’ match-winning knock of 135 runs against Australia at Leeds, Headingley in the Ashes. Stokes had taken his risks while batting with the tail and got his team over the line with one wicket to spare.

“We saw exactly that from England’s Ben Stokes against Australia in Leeds in 2019. In a similar situation, he backed himself and produced one of the best innings of the past 50 years. Importantly, Stokes played that innings knowing that, succeed or fail, his team and leadership would have his back. That’s the mindset that needs to be fostered in any great team,” Chappell wrote.

The fourth Test match between England and India will be played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, from July 23 onwards.