For once, it seemed Ravindra Jadeja would emulate VVS Laxman’s unbelievable 73 not out in Mohali a decade-and-a-half ago.
It’s a game that’s etched in the folklore of Indian cricket as Laxman, braving a back injury, had to bat with Nos.10 and 11 (Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha) to get those remaining 92 runs and help India chase down a 216-run target set by Australia.
But the end result did not go India’s way this time. Jadeja (61 not out) played one of the best innings of his life at Lord’s on Monday, yet he couldn’t take India home as England stole a 22-run victory to go 2-1 up in the series.
He showed steely nerves and great determination right through his 266-minute stay at the crease.
Jofra Archer’s morning spell from the Nursery End was crucial as he uprooted the off-stump of Rishabh Pant — who was batting practically with one hand due to his injured left index finger — before squaring Washington Sundar up and taking a wonderful catch off his own bowling. But the hero of England’s win was their captain, Ben Stokes.
He couldn’t strike more than thrice, but his extended spells in the first two sessions were monumental in terms of keeping India under pressure even when Jadeja blocked up one end. Not just that, Stokes nipped one in to trap KL Rahul leg before for England’s second wicket on the final day.
For India to win this Test, Rahul’s role was massive, considering the rhythm with which he has batted so far in the series. On this occasion, though, he had no answer to the one which nipped back from Stokes.
But the pressure shifted back on England during Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah’s stubborn resistance. Peppering Bumrah with the short stuff, Stokes eventually forced a mistake from India’s No.10 batter, before Shoaib Bashir ended Mohammed Siraj and India’s resistance.
Stokes’s abilities as a batter may well be waning, as some experts feel. But with the ball and given his abilities as a fielder, the all-rounder just cannot be written off.
That first-innings direct hit to run a raging Pant out, too, was a critical moment of the Test. England’s bowlers had looked clueless before Pant, who controlled the proceedings with ease even with an injured finger.
Going back to Jadeja, could he have attempted a few more strokes, especially against Chris Woakes and Bashir?
Woakes has become considerably slower in terms of pace, while Bashir, coming on to bowl much later, looked far from threatening. The off-spinner also bowled with a fractured finger on his non-bowling hand, which has ruled him out of the remaining two Tests.
Whatever it may be, there’s no questioning Jadeja’s effort in braving the storm. But some of the specialist batters in the India set-up do need a bit of self-introspection.