Ravindra Jadeja in 2014 and 2025 (Source:@OneCricketApp/X.com)
July 20, 2014, was the date when the world first witnessed the famous SWORD Celebration from Ravindra Jadeja. The battlefield was the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, and against the best of the bowlers in those conditions, a 25-year-old Jadeja unleashed his fearless rockstar instincts, smashing 68 off 57 balls.
Struggle For Respect As A Test Batter
India went onto win that Lord's Test, but Jadeja somehow did not get the recognition and respect as a Test batter that he probably expected. Many considered that knock as a fluke, as Jadeja could not back that performance with solidity or consistency in the next couple of years.
From 2016, Jadeja did show signs of consistency as a batter in Test cricket, but those runs came in subcontinental conditions, and there were still doubts over his credentials as a batter in SENA countries. The remarks of being a bits and pieces player were floating around, and Jadeja had even lost a place in the Indian ODI side.
Oval 2018 - The Start Of Redemption
Then came the Oval Test match of 2018 where Ravindra Jadeja first unleashed his mature 2.0 version. Amidst the pressure of uncertainty in the playing XI, the cricketer scored a crucial 86 in the first innings and picked seven wickets as well, his first breakthrough all-round performance in SENA countries.
The question, though, is, what was different about Jadeja's 86 at Oval in 2018 from that of the 68 at Lord's in 2014. The answer is: Ravindra Jadeja showing trust in his defensive skills contrary to his all-out attack approach at Lord's. That 86 kickstarted a different era for Ravindra Jadeja in Test cricket, where he started gaining respect from the cricketing world as a batter who can be trusted in pace-friendly conditons outside subcontinent.
A few months after that Oval knock, Jadeja scored 81 in Sydney, further highlighting his progress as a Test batter. He followed it up with series of gritty knocks in tough conditions and slowly but steadily, he became a trustable asset for Team India in SENA Countries.
In home condtions, Jadeja evolved into an unmatchable giant as his batting performances started competing with his world-class bowling achievments. As the Covid Era ended, India went to Birmingham in 2022 to play the final match of 2021 England tour. Once again, it was Ravindra Jadeja who took his game a notch higher and scored a crafty century, while his more fancied teammates struggled to find their rhythm.
Test Average Of Indian Batters In England
| Indian Batters | Average |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 38.76 |
| Virat Kohli | 33.21 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | 29 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 28.80 |
Old-School Rockstar Stamps Authority In The Gen Z Era
Cut to 2025, Ravindra Jadeja came into the Test series with the pressure of being the only surviving senior player in a young team led by Shubman Gill. Despite his consistent performances, there were murmurs in the cricketing circles that he should move on, just like Kohli, Ashwin and Rohit.
Jadeja, though, decided to let his on-field performances do the talking, like he has done all these years and has now smashed four consecutive fifties. A feat that only two Indian batters have been able to achieve in England so far.
However, more than the runs, it is about how Ravindra Jadeja got those scores. The man who was once considered a basher is now probably the batter who trusts his defence more than anyone in the team. Amidst all the talk of Bazball and aggressive cricket, Jadeja has found success with old-school Test batting. Unlike other batters, he has hardly played a rash shot and missed out on a well-deserved century both at Edgbaston and in the first innings of the Lord's Test.
Show-Stopper At Home Of Cricket
However, there are some players who tend to flow under the radar no matter what do. Same goes with Jadeja, who has never been a show-stopper in his career. The Indian all-rounder, though, shares a unique connection with Lord's and the iconic venue decided to hand Jadeja an opportunity to be a show-stopper just like it did 11 years back.
In 2014, the southpaw scored 68 off 57 balls and that too in a winning cause, but the knock was never taken seriously and Jadeja was labelled as a player who doesn't trust his technique in English conditions. Now, the Jadeja of 2025 was ready to put a final nail in coffin to that old perception which has been haunting him despite plenty of world-class performances along the way.
So, Jadeja walked in, faced hostility from English players, even had a ugly collision with a tall pacer, but he kept fighting. He displayed compact technique with unflutterd mindset and despite all the drama around him, kept taking his team forward. The pitch was doing all sorts of tricks, but Jadeja seemed to be locked in, and was in his own zone with only a mission of digging deep and taking his team over the line.
Such was the assurance of Ravindra Jadeja at the crease, that the Englishman, despite all the help from the pitch, failed to dislodge him and had to take out the rest of the 10 batters to secure their narrowest win against India.
Jadeja 2.0: A Silent Message From A Complete Cricketer
And guess what, there was no Sword Celebration after his fifty. Over the years, there has hardly been a half-century in Ravindra Jadeja's Test career where he has not unleashed his sword-antics, but this time around it was just a sedate celebration, probably a silent message to the cricketing world that he has moved from his 2014 self, and it is time for the world to realise that and take notice of his grit and world-class skills.
India might not have won the Test this time around like they did in 2014, but on a personal front, it turned out to be a perfect redemption arc for Ravindra Jadeja. This is a statement from a 36-year-old who is at the peak of his Test batting powers and has grown from a bowling all-rounder to one of India's most trusted batters in English conditions. Mind you, we are not even talking about his bowling exploits here.
He may not be a big brand like many others in Indian cricket, but July 14, 2025, will be forever remembered as a date when Ravindra Jadeja proved himself as one of the most complete Test cricketers to don the Indian jersey.
