Varun Aaron criticizes Ravindra Jadeja’s performance in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron slammed Ravindra Jadeja’s performance in the opening Test match against England, which the visitors lost by five wickets at Leeds, Headingley on Tuesday. Jadeja scored 11 runs in the first innings whereas he scored an unbeaten 25 in the second innings.

In both innings, Jadeja had to bat with the lower order and he didn’t receive support from the other end. The left-arm orthodox went wicketless in the first innings and could only take a single wicket in the second dig. 

Furthermore, Jadeja dropped Ben Duckett’s catch when he was on 15 in the first essay. The experienced all-rounder could not utilise the rough outside the left-hander’s off-stump and he was taken to the cleaners by Ben Duckett.

Aaron noted that Jadeja bowled either too short or he was bowling too fast and full at the same time.

Varun Aaron said on the Star Sports show Follow the Blues, “More than the reverse sweeps, if we go back and view that footage when Jadeja was bowling over the wicket, I would say he missed the rough a lot. He bowled either too short or he was bowling too fast, too full. They were all pitching in the middle of the wicket, not on the rough,” he responded.

The former lanky pacer said more was expected of Jadeja on the fifth day track, but he could not deliver as per the expectations.

“Somebody who is really experienced, who bowls into the rough really well, especially in Indian conditions where there is a lot of rough, and he and (Ravichandran) Ashwin have stitched together so many match-winning performances, you would back him to bowl into the rough on the fifth day and secure India a very historic victory,” Aaron observed.

Aaron noted that England’s veteran batter Joe Root looked in good touch in the second innings, and these are ominous signs for India.

“India are in big trouble when it comes to Joe Root. The way he is playing, he is shuffling so much outside off-stump, which is a good position to play anything that comes at him. He is almost removing lbw from the picture because he is outside the off-stump,” he responded.

The former lanky pacer highlighted that Indian seamers, barring Jasprit Bumrah, is unlikely to dismiss Root. Bumrah has an incredible record against Root in Test matches as he has dismissed him on 10 occasions.

“Number one, you can’t get him lbw as a fast bowler because he is going to be hit outside the line, and two, he is in such a good position to play anything that’s outside the off-stump that he is meeting everything under his eye line. So as a bowler, you have to come up with something really special, which only Bumrah can, to get him out,” Aaron elaborated.

The second Test match between India and England will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham from July 2nd onwards.