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“He Couldn’t Have Scored…": Pujara Rips Into Jadeja's Critics Over ‘Slow Batting’

Aakash Saini

Ravindra Jadeja and Cheteshwar Pujara [Source: @Johns, @ShubmanGill/x]Ravindra Jadeja and Cheteshwar Pujara [Source: @Johns, @ShubmanGill/x]

Team India fell to a 22-run defeat against England at Lord’s earlier this week to go 1-2 down in the five-match Test series. Chasing 193 runs in the decisive innings of the match, the visitors could gather just 170, with senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja himself minting 61* off those runs from 181 balls, mostly while batting with the tail.

Grinding out for more than four hours at the crease for his half-century, Jadeja faced some severe criticism from fans and cricket experts, with many claiming that the 36-year-old should have scored his runs quicker. Jadeja’s former national and domestic teammate Cheteshwar Pujara, however, holds a different opinion.

Cheteshwar Pujara Backs Ravindra Jadeja’s Lord’s Approach

While speaking with the Indian Express, Cheteshwar Pujara defended Ravindra Jadeja’s cautious approach during India’s tense run-chase against England on Day 5 of the Lord’s Test. The cricketer-cum-commentator claimed that the slower pitch made it difficult to score quickly for batters.

Pujara also added that Jadeja would have eventually taken some risks upon getting closer to the target. He said:

“He (Ravindra Jadeja) couldn’t have scored faster on that track. I felt that it was because the ball was soft, and the pitch was on the slower side. I guess, Jadeja would have thought that the tailenders were batting well and the team was getting close to the total. And once they were a little closer he would have taken his chances. He was batting well. It was very difficult to score runs on that pitch. The only thing he could have done better is to look to score down the ground. Like, there was a gap between mid-off and cover.”

Chasing 193, Ravindra Jadeja arrived to the crease following the dismissal of Rishabh Pant at 71-5 on Day 5. Eventually slipping to 112-8 before lunch, Jadeja conjured spirited partnerships with tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, before the latter got cleaned up by Shoaib Bashir.

Team India will now face England in the fourth Test of the five-match series in Manchester between July 23 and July 27.