Ravindra Jadeja earns overdue recognition as reliable Test batter in England

India Today

4 days ago

For much of his career, Ravindra Jadeja's batting has lived in the shadow of his bowling. The labels came easily: relentless left-arm spinner, electric fielder, the captain's go-to man. But over the last few weeks in England, Jadeja has stepped out of those brackets, not by reinventing himself, but by reaffirming what those in the dressing room always knew - that he is as much a batter as he is an all-rounder.advertisementHis unbeaten 107 in Manchester - a century that salvaged a draw for India in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy - was not just a statistic. It was a moment of reckoning. The innings wasn't about flair or dominance; it was about control, clarity and a quiet defiance. While cricket debates swirl around "Bazball" and aggressive run-scoring, Jadeja has chosen to bat with discipline. To defend, to leave, to wait - and then to strike.The hundred, laced with 13 boundaries and a six, crowned a series that now reads: four fifties and a century in eight innings. Jadeja is averaging 113.50, and yet, there's been no grandstanding, no self-congratulation. That has never been his way. His tally of 454 runs is the fourth-highest in the series-more than Joe Root, more than any English batter. He has let his bat speak, and it has spoken volumes.
SURVIVAL OF THE FIGHTER
He came into this series as the oldest man in a squad that has already begun transitioning. Virat Kohli had stepped aside from Test cricket. Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin had also joined the bandwagon of retired Test cricketers. Some wondered if Jadeja too should make way. At 36, with battle-worn knees and an already decorated career, few would have questioned his exit.But Jadeja chose to stay. Not just to play, but to lead - not with slogans, but with steel.In every innings, he batted with the assurance of a man who knows both his game and the game itself. There was restraint. There was purpose. The wide drives stayed in the locker. The big shots came only in his arc - long-on to long-off - or when a bowler dropped short.There was a brief lapse in Manchester, first ball, when he slashed at a wide delivery and was dropped by Joe Root at slip. That was it. After that, he barely gave England a chance.MATCHING LEGENDARY SOBERSThe numbers now place Jadeja in rare company. He has scored 1,041 runs in England while batting at No. 6 or lower - second only to the great Garry Sobers (1,097) among visiting players. Nine of those innings have ended in scores of 50 or more - again, a record he shares with Sobers.advertisementHe also has 34 wickets in England, placing him in an elite bracket. Only Sobers (1,820 runs and 62 wickets) and Wilfred Rhodes (1,032 runs and 42 wickets in Australia) have managed the feat of 1,000 runs and 30+ wickets in a single overseas country.For a player often remembered for his sword celebrations and whip-smart fielding, Jadeja's real legacy may be one of grit and consistency - the attributes that rarely trend, but always matter.At Lord's, chasing 193, India were staring at defeat at 112 for 8. With the top order swept away by Archer and Stokes, Jadeja held firm. His 72, built in the company of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, took India to within 23 runs of an improbable win. It wasn't to be, but the fight lingered.After that knock, captain Shubman Gill called him "one of the most valuable players in India." That may sound obvious, but the tone carried weight. In a team where senior figures are slowly stepping away, Jadeja has become the reference point - not loud, not showy, but steady.advertisementHe is often seen in long conversations with head coach Gautam Gambhir. There's no attempt to take charge, no performative leadership. But in a team still finding its identity, his is the example that sticks.JADEJA 2.0 IN ENGLAND?With 3,824 Test runs and counting, Jadeja's batting record now stands taller than most top-order batters India have cycled through in recent years. His average, just shy of 38, reflects a player who has evolved without fuss. England, with its swing and seam and skies, has historically exposed Indian batters. Here, Jadeja has not just survived - he has thrived.This isn't the story of a late bloomer. It's the story of a cricketer who was always more than what the scorecard showed, who waited for his due, and who didn't mind if it came late - as long as it came on his own terms.Jadeja may never be counted among the traditional greats. But in Manchester, in Lord's, and in dressing rooms where respect is measured in silence rather than sound, his name now means something different.He is no longer the batter who chips in. He is the batter who holds firm. And in the land that once tested him the most, Ravindra Jadeja is finally being seen for everything he is - and always was.- EndsTune InTrending Reel