India vs England: Ravindra Jadeja, more solid than Rohit Sharma on Day 1, shows he is the most correct Test batsman in this team | Cricket News

It’s his occasional makes that get noticed. Otherwise, Ravindra Jadeja’s batting has become such a blur of compactness that it’s astounding. Ever since 2018, when he returned to the Indian team after, what he once called, “months of sleepless nights”, his Test batting has stepped up to another level.  He has the close bat-and-pad press against spinners, leaves the deliveries outside off when facing seamers and is the only batsman in this team who comes closest to playing the ball correctly in the traditional ‘V’.
Unbeaten on 110 on the opening day of the third Test against England in Rajkot as India finished at 326/5, Jadeja was far more flamboyant than in the recent past: the follow-throughs finished with a flourish, the arms stretched out far more for the cover drives, the attempted punches off back foot whooshed more. More than the shots, the finishing touches stood out.
In the end, when the hundred moment came up with a dab to the on side, Jadeja must have had mixed feelings. He had just sold the dummy, running out the dashing Sarfaraz Khan, and hence perhaps his celebrations were muted. Nevertheless, it was his knock that oozed solidity that changed the day’s fortunes for India.

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Jadeja slams his fourth Test 💯 to keep #TeamIndia on the front foot ⚡#INDvENG #BazBowled #JioCinemaSports #TeamIndia #IDFCFirstBankTestSeries pic.twitter.com/RSHDu8MMAD — JioCinema (@JioCinema) February 15, 2024
He was far more solid than Rohit Sharma in the initial phase of their partnership. He too soon began to open up. Not in the conventional sense of the word, but in his intent. The bat flourishes began to be more noticeable: extending more than usual. It also led to an iffy phase in the second session with James Anderson going around the stumps. Jadeja, usually compact, tried to punch those balls but missed a few. Then came the away-shaper from Anderson that straightened a touch to rush past the outside edge.
England kept trying on a relatively flat pitch. To the left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, they had packed the on-side field for Jadeja in his 40’s: Short mid-on, short leg, short midwicket, deepish mid-on and deep midwicket. Jadeja eased one between Stokes at short mid-on and Crawley at short midwicket to make a quiet statement.
Rehan Ahmed ripped his leg breaks on a length outside off but Jadeja is one of the better forward-stretchers in this team. Time and again, he leaned inexorably, bat and pad close together to nullify Rehan.

In the final session, England turned to Mark Wood to see if he could dislodge Jadeja with a few short stuff. In the past, the ball at rib cage area has had him in a bit of a bother as he can sort of contort his body and shovel the ball. But this time around, there were no such signs as he swayed away from the bodyline. Elsewhere, he was solid and punchy.
There was a moment when India had crossed 200 and Jadeja was on 72 when Wood tried a short ball at the body. It didn’t climb as much and Jadeja who was swivelling into a pull, checked his shot. They had a fine-leg and deep backward square-leg in but to everyone’s surprise, the ball flew off the fat edge for a six. A surprised Jadeja checked the sweet spot as Rohit came across for a light punch on the gloves. Wood tried another bounce a short while later, but it rose ever so slowly from the surface that Jadeja tapped it down to midwicket.
Not that it stopped Wood from trying and he went round the stumps for a few more, but it was anaesthetised the pitch and Jadeja without much fuss. And when he swatted another short ball from that angle through wide mid-on to move to 83, Wood was taken off the attack.

In the first Test, on a track that helped the spinners more, Jadeja was perhaps far too circumspect. Or rather, he didn’t try to extend himself, continuing with the approach that had put him as the sole spinner-batsman overseas. Axar Patel had batted with more positivity but in this game, admittedly in an entirely different situation, Jadeja asserted himself far more. He shut the shop at the exit of Rohit Sharma and guided Sarfaraz Khan through a tricky phase before he began to enjoy the youngster’s attacking style of play. But the fact that he had a hand in Sarfaraz would nag him a touch on a day when he did everything else splendidly well.