Balwinder Singh Sandhu, the 1983 World Cup winner, has doubts about Ravindra Jadeja’s decisions towards the end of India’s close chase at Lord’s. The former fast bowler thinks Jadeja didn’t trust the tailenders which cost India the third Test.
India was chasing 193 against England in the third Test but fell short by 22 runs and England won the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-1.
At lunch on the last day India was 112 for 8. Jadeja, the top-ranked all-rounder, was batting well and had good partnerships with Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. He scored an unbeaten 61 off 181 balls and gave India hope as they got closer to the target. But one moment near the end of the innings is being talked about a lot after the match.
Sandhu thinks Jadeja might have been too worried or didn’t trust the tailenders enough during the chase.
I have known Ravindra Jadeja since his U-19 days at the National Cricket Academy. He was mature for his age even back then. He’s a smart and calm cricketer but maybe he was too afraid of failing or didn’t trust the tailenders this time, Sandhu wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
The 68-year-old also said that Jadeja might have missed a good chance by not trusting Bumrah.
He should have trusted Jasprit Bumrah a bit more, especially since Bumrah was defending well. He shouldn’t have taken that single off the fourth ball to keep the strike. If he had believed he could finish it in those last two balls with the fielders up, it would have been the perfect time to hit a boundary, Sandhu said.
Jadeja’s strategy during the run-chase has raised many questions among fans and experts. Anil Kumble felt that Jadeja should have taken more risks towards the end. Shubman Gill and Sunil Gavaskar supported Jadeja’s approach, saying it was the right way to chase.