Ravindra Jadeja enjoyed a fine outing in the IND vs ENG 2nd Test in Birmingham. The match marked the first instance of Jadeja scoring half-centuries in both innings of an away Test. The 36-year-old stroked a fluent 87 in the first innings, before a resilient 69 not out in the second innings. Despite the runs under his belt, Jadeja’s game awareness has come into question, especially after a sedate second innings.
The tale of Ravindra Jadeja’s two half-centuries: From necessary to needless
Ravindra Jadeja walked into bat with his side 211/5 on Day 1 in the IND vs ENG 2nd Test. With the surface lifeless for the bowlers, India needed a massive turnaround to post a competitive total. The left-hander buckled down, stitching a vital partnership with captain Shubman Gill. The duo put on 203 for the sixth wicket, helping India past the bare minimum 400 run mark. Jadeja was well set for another century at Edgbaston, but fell short on 89. He batted more than 3 hours, faced 137 deliveries to ensure India had a safe total. Shubman did the rest with the tail and India piled on 587.
That knock came at the back of some criticism for the all-rounder who bagged twin failures in Headingley. India collapsed twice, with Jadeja scoring 25 and 15 respectively. His inability to bat with the tail, and hoard strike were major talking points in the game. India eventually suffered a 5-wicket defeat on the final day.
Since Jadeja arrived at the crease, England's chance of winning (with WinViz) has remained at 1%. India's has fallen from 83% to 78%
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) July 5, 2025Jadeja bats England out of the contest
In the second innings, India were clearly aggressive trying to set a gigantic target. Rishabh Pant struck in excess of 100, while KL Rahul and Shubman Gill also maintained a strike rate around 75. Jadeja walked in with India needing quick runs to allow their bowlers more time to bowl out England.
However, the left-hander opted for quite the opposite. He buckled down, blocking Joe Root and Shoaib Bashir for maidens. He scored only 12 off his first 41 balls. Post Tea, he picked up a little pace, only to reach fifty in 94 deliveries. Even after reaching his milestone, Jadeja was steadfast, remaining unbeaten on 69 off 118, at a strike rate of 58.47.
While strike rate in Test cricket is not a vital metric, the game situation demanded Jadeja to accelerate. Some quick runs and India could have had a few more overs to try and bowl England out. Instead, Jadeja and Gill resorted to batting out time on a lifeless pitch. Jadeja might have batted England out of the contest, but has certainly made the job harder for his own teammates to bag a win.
Vital 1st, baffling 2nd: Ravindra Jadeja’s twin Edgbaston half-centuries Inside Sport India.
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