Sanjay Manjrekar Slams Ravindra Jadeja’s Lord’s Performance: ‘He Was Playing A Waiting Game’

India fell short by 22 runs in the third Test at Lord’s, and one name came up right after the loss—Ravindra Jadeja. He spent hours out in the middle, fighting hard, but former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar felt Jadeja wasn’t doing enough to turn the game around.

Manjrekar said it was good to see Jadeja back his defence, but that wasn’t going to be enough in a pressure chase. According to him, India needed someone to take chances—not just survive.

Ravindra Jadeja’s Knock Too Cautious for the Situation

Chasing 193, India were already in deep trouble at 71 for 5 when Jadeja came in. He ended up making 61 off 181 balls, staying out there with only the tailenders left to support him.

Bumrah hung in for 54 balls and made 5, while Siraj added 4 off 30. But the scoring never picked up, and India slowly slipped away from the target.

“Ravindra Jadeja was batting well and defending resolutely, but it never looked like he was taking the kind of risks needed to help India win. He was playing a waiting game and hoping against hope,” Manjrekar said.

Sanjay Manjrekar Lauds Bumrah’s Gutsy Stand

While Jadeja held his ground, Manjrekar felt it was Bumrah who showed real character with the bat. He stood firm against some serious fast bowling and didn’t back down.

“The real star in that partnership, though, was Jasprit Bumrah. He stayed out there for one hour and 40 minutes against high-quality fast bowling, facing bouncers, and it was remarkable to see how his net sessions with the bat finally paid off. The mental toughness we see in his bowling came through in his batting too, and that was truly special,” he added.

Ravindra Jadeja’s Fifty Didn’t Spark Hope in the Camp

Manjrekar also pointed out that even when Jadeja reached his half-century, the energy from the Indian balcony didn’t change. It didn’t feel like the team believed they could still win.

“It’s heartening to see how much Jadeja trusts his defence these days. He plays long innings now, patient and with time on his side. The 70 runs he scored in the first innings were not a quick-fire 70 – he batted for four hours. And on this pitch, scoring 50 felt like batting for 50 hours,” Manjrekar said.

“But if you look at that moment when Jadeja brought up his half-century, the visuals from the Lord’s balcony did not look too positive. The energy from the dressing room said it all, it felt like the team knew that winning would be very difficult. Jadeja was trying, no doubt, but given the pitch, the conditions, and India’s scoring rate, the chase looked beyond reach.”

India Trail 2-1 Heading into Old Trafford Test

With this result, England have taken a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

The next Test will be played at Old Trafford, starting July 23, where India will need a strong response to stay alive in the contest.

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