Why Don’t We Talk About Ravindra Jadeja’s Test Performances More Often?
Ravindra Jadeja, one of the finest all-rounders of all time, has dominated in the Test format with both bat and ball. But his performances have often gone unnoticed or overshadowed by the dominance of other players.
Imagine having 10 Player of the Match awards in just 82 Test matches, and still being unnoticed in the team’s major wins. That has been the case for Ravindra Jadeja, who has been the pinnacle of India’s spin attack and middle-order batting line-up over the last decade.
His career has been filled with consistent performances for the team with both bat and ball, as he also adds energy to the team. Many fans even call him the Nathan Lyon of the Indian team, as Lyon bowls with three pacers, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. It has been the same for Jadeja, as he is currently bowling with Siraj, Bumrah, and Akash Deep.
After long spells by the pacers in a Test match, the Indian captains have brought Jadeja in with the ball to ensure that the pacers receive some rest before their next spell. Giving some rest to the pacers of his team, Jadeja also gives some unrest to the batsmen, as he bowls quick overs, which finish in a minute or two.
With Jadeja delivering for the team in every way possible, whether it is fielding, batting, or bowling, most of his performances have gone unnoticed. Even in the current Test match between India and England at Lord’s, he took the wicket of Ollie Pope in the 50th over, further making way for Bumrah to take the wicket of Harry Brook in the next five overs. Let’s take a look at some matches where Jadeja silently contributed to the Indian team.
India vs England 2025: 2nd Test
Ravindra Jadeja showcased some vital contributions with the ball in the second Test match between India and England at Birmingham. First, he ended up scoring 89 runs in the first innings and also remained not out in the second innings.
During England’s chase, Jadeja was given an over just before Lunch, and he bowled it maiden within 100 seconds. Following this, another over was added before Lunch, where Washington Sundar ended up taking the wicket of Ben Stokes, which changed the game. He also took the wicket of Josh Tongue, which was followed by a well-judged catch by Siraj.
India vs Australia 2018-19: 3rd Test
During the famous India tour of Australia 2018, Ravindra Jadeja dominated with the ball, but once again, his performances went unnoticed. India batted pretty well in this match, scoring 443 runs in the first innings. With the ball, Jadeja took the wickets of Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh in the first innings, conceding runs at an economy of 1.80.
When Australia had to chase down the target of 399 runs, Jadeja again pulled off a thriller with the ball. This time he took 3 wickets, getting the scalps of Marcus Harris, Mitchell Marsh, and the Australian skipper, Tim Paine. Finishing the match with 5 wickets, even at a pitch which favours pacers was one of his best performances for India in overseas conditions.
India vs Australia 2020: 2nd Test
Not only in the India tour of Australia 2018, Jadeja also had his contribution during the 2020-21 tour, where India secured a historic series win. During the second Test, which was played in Melbourne, he played yet another vital role with the ball. In Australia’s first innings, he took the wicket of Cameron Green and also took an important catch of Matthew Wade.
With the bat also, he went on scoring 57 runs off 159 balls with just 3 fours. Later in the third innings, Jadeja contributed with the ball yet again, taking the wickets of Matthew Wade and Tim Paine. He also took the catch of Cameron Green, playing a vital role in India’s win by 8 wickets.
India vs England 2014: 2nd Test
Ravindra Jadeja has contributed well to the team with the ball, even in the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. During the 2014 India tour of England, he played a crucial role in the second Test being played at Lord’s. India scored 295 runs in the first innings, while the bowlers restricted England to 319 in the second innings.
Jadeja took the wickets of Joe Root and James Anderson, while also taking the catch of Ian Bell. Later in the third innings, he went on to score 68 runs off 57 balls for the team. When England had to chase the target of 319, he took the wicket of Sam Robson, and even delivered the final blow by the wicket of James Anderson through a run out.
India vs England 2021-22: 2nd Test
Ravindra Jadeja was also a part of the Indian team that secured a historic win at Lord’s under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. His contributions with the bat cannot be denied in this game, as in India’s first innings, the team ended up scoring 364 runs, where Jadeja scored 40 runs off 120 balls with 3 fours.
In England’s first innings, he was not able to take up any wickets for the team, but contributed with the field, taking the scalp of Mark Wood via run out. Even in England’s chase, Jadeja remained an economical bowling option for the team, conceding just 5 runs in 6 overs he had bowled.
India vs England 2021-22: 4th Test
Even in the second win India secured in its previous England tour, Ravindra Jadeja showcased his dominance with the ball. India didn’t start off the first innings well, as the team got all out for 191. But for England, it seemed that the team got various surprises, which helped to bowl them out for 290.
Ravindra Jadeja finished with two wickets in the second innings, taking the scalps of Moeen Ali and Ollie Robinson. Later, when England had to chase down the target of 368 runs, Jadeja came to contribute again with the ball. He ended up taking the wickets of Haseeb Hameed and Moeen Ali in the chase, helping India to win by 157 runs.
India vs England 2018-19: 5th Test
Not all of his contributions to the team have come in winning causes; some of them even helped India to give a fight in the overseas Tests, when the team was on the brink of losing by a big margin. In the 5th Test of the 2018 England tour, England batted first and scored 332 runs. In this, Jadeja took the wickets of Keaton Jennings, Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad, and Jos Buttler.
After taking 4 wickets in the first innings, he also went on to score 86 runs off 156 balls in the second innings, which helped India to reach the score of 292. In the third innings, he ended up taking the scalps of Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, and Ben Stokes, as England declared at 423. India still failed to chase the target by a margin of 118 runs.
India vs Australia 2017: 2nd Test
Ravindra Jadeja has been the key to wickets for the Indian team in the Home Tests also. Known for his wicket-taking ability, he used it well against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2017. The second match was being played at Bengaluru, as India ended up scoring just 189 runs in the first innings.
In the second innings, Jadeja’s 6-wicket haul helped India bowl out Australia for 276. He took the important wickets of Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, and Matthew Wade, which turned the game. When Australia were chasing the target of 188, Jadeja also took the wicket of Steve O’Keefe, and conceded just 3 runs in 8 overs.
India vs England 2021-22: 5th Test
Not only does he strike with the ball, but he also contributes to the team with the bat, at times when even the top order fails to score. During the last Test of the India tour of England 2021-22, although India lost the game, Jadeja contributed well with the bat. India, batting first, scored 416 runs in the first innings, of which Jadeja scored 104 runs off 194 balls with 13 fours.
He was not given many overs to bowl in England’s first innings, but in India’s second innings, he also scored 23 runs off 58 balls, when the majority of the batsmen failed to score well. During England’s chase, he helped the team by taking the wicket of Alex Lees in the form of a run out. Despite his best efforts, India ended up losing the match by 7 wickets.
India vs Australia 2018-19: 4th Test
Ravindra Jadeja once again showcased his all-around performance for the Indian team in the final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19. With the final match being played at Sydney, India batted first and they scored 622 runs for the loss of 7 wickets.
Amidst the centuries by Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara, it was Ravindra Jadeja also who shone with the bat, as he ended up scoring 81 runs off 114 balls with 7 fours and one six. In Australia’s first innings, Jadeja ended up taking the wickets of Marcus Harris and Shaun Marsh, which further helped India to bowl out Australia for 300. Although the match resulted in a draw, fans say that India could’ve won it easily.
Jadeja: The Silent Contributor
Ravindra Jadeja has undoubtedly been a part of India’s several crucial wins in both home and away Tests. However, his contribution in most of the matches has gone unnoticed or overlooked by the star performers of those games. These innings show that whether the Indian team needs wickets or someone to score runs in the middle order, Ravindra Jadeja comes out as the perfect option.
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