India’s overnight score was 326-5. Ravindra Jadeja was unbeaten on 110. Maker of five Test centuries, Ravichandran Ashwin was yet to come. There were big expectations of Dhruv Jurel, the debutant wicketkeeper who is an able batter. That’s why he is playing ahead of KS Bharat. Looked promising, right?
Not entirely. Within five overs of play resuming on the second day of third India-England Test in Rajkot, the home team had slumped to 331-7, with Jadeja lofting a return catch to Joe Root after adding just two to his overnight score. India had a job to do to put up at least another 100 runs and be in a position of strength. This appears to be the best pitch for batting seen in this series so far. Anything below 425-450 batting first would be below-par against an adventurous England side. They will also enjoy batting on this strip.
More than that, India’s performance with the bat in the first two Tests didn’t really inspire confidence, barring in patches and a few shows of individual brilliance. In the second Test, India were 396 all out from 330-5 in the first innings and folded for 295 after being 211-4 at one stage in the second. In the first Test also, they collapsed in the second innings, although on a tricky pitch.
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That’s why Jadeja’s role would have been crucial. The second new ball was just two overs old when play began. On Day 1, there was assistance for the quicker bowlers in the opening 45 minutes or so. James Anderson is a master of swing, while Mark Woods clocks 150 kmph. This is not the kind of challenge Jadeja or Ashwin have overcome very often. Jurel has not faced this level of pace bowling in his life.
Considering these factors and the importance of driving home the advantage of batting first, Jadeja had to take the lead. He has batted like a specialist in the last few years, even hitting a Test hundred in England. Rajkot was no exception. Having made it to Test cricket as a spinner who could score quickly lower down the order, this was a quantum leap.
That is the difference between promoting Jadeja to a batter’s position and trying the same with Axar Patel. No. 9 in the first Test, Axar was moved up to No. 6 in the second game Jadeja missed. He played neat knocks of 27 and 45, which were valuable in the context of that Test. But in both innings, Axar threw it away at a time the team needed him to be there for longer.
This has got something to do with the thought process. Being primarily a bowler who can bat, Axar thinks his job is done after he has scored a few runs. He can’t be blamed, because that’s how he has perceived his role all his life. Jadeja, on the other hand, thinks with good reason that he can bat like a top-order player and go on to convert starts.
At his home ground where he had made his first Test century against the West Indies in 2018, Jadeja’s fourth three-figure knock bore evidence of this changed mindset. He came in with India wobbling at 33-3 and brought the team back in partnership with Rohit Sharma, displaying the attributes of a batter who knows how to construct an innings.
Jadeja showed respect to the new ball and treated spin with more disdain. There were not many false shots and it was not about slogging. He hit the balls he believed he could. Most of his runs came from forcing shots on the leg-side and they were cleanly struck, largely devoid of risks.
After Rohit got out in the final session, Jadeja changed ploy. It became evident that he was determined to stay till the end of the day. His scoring rate dipped, but he seemed oblivious of that. He was playing time. That’s what batters do and makeshift batters don’t. This trait or this innings may or may not win India this Test. It will be an asset going forward in this series.
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