About 15 years back, when Indian cricket had well and truly moved on from the Fab Four generation, four young cricketers would make their Test debuts. Virat Kohli and R Ashwin (2011), Ravindra Jadeja (2012) and Rohit Sharma (2013), as was predicted, would serve the team for long. But no one would have guessed the most low-key of the Fab Four II, all-rounder Jadeja, would outlast all of them. He made his ODI debut in 2009, and 16 years on, he is the last man standing in that group.
Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin retired earlier this year but Jadeja with timely innings of 89, and his role in the series-reviving 203-runs partnership with his captain Shubman Gill, proved that even at 36 he remains an irreplaceable cricketer with uniquely multiple skills.
As it was a decade-and-a-half back, the year 2025, the start of Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir era, is also a period of transition. But Jadeja continues to stay relevant. For a team that demands runs from its bowlers, Jadeja remains the benchmark that the present-day pseudo Test all-rounders can only dream of achieving one day. There aren’t many bowlers who can match the world’s most promising young batsman Shubman stroke by stroke and be the co-conspirator in India’s miraculous recovery – taking the team from 211/5 to 414/6.
Came in to bat amid a flurry of wickets and scored a fighting fifty! 👏
Will he turn it into a well-deserved hundred? 🤔#ENGvIND 👉 2nd TEST, Day 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar ➡ https://t.co/hiGDPrqlbR pic.twitter.com/CXUgTO5Zhq
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 3, 2025
Jadeja’s inning at Edgbaston today was a reminder of his three first-class triple hundreds and his Test match batting average that’s better than Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Andrew Flintoff and Shaun Pollock.
There was much nothing in the track but England’s constantly changing tactics needed the batsmen to think on their feet. Jadeja has seen it all on the domestic circuit. Sun shining, dead track but wily old domestic captain conjuring tricks to get batsmen out. From the first ball he faced in this Test on Wednesday, Jadeja knew this was his pitch with the bat, he wasn’t going to give it away.
There is one Jadeja stroke that tells you that he is at home. To the ball on the middle-leg, the left-hander has a way of turning it to square or fine leg. There is a rhythm and timing of his body’s smooth pivot is a sight. From being almost front-on to being in the line of the ball, he swirls his body and the bat to the right to work it on the leg side. His first four of the day, off pacer Chris Woakes, came off this graceful leg side wristy stroke. Not a coincidence, he happens to be from Ranji’s land, Jamnagar. Graceful leg-side play is their blood.
Captain Ben Stokes, bowling with Woakes, too couldn’t make much of an impact. He tried the outside off line but Jadeja’s leaves were judicious. He judged the line perfectly, at No.7 India had a batsman playing like No.3. Once in an over, Stokes tried to bowl up. Jadeja drove him through the cover region. Next ball he again pulled back his length. This time he was cut.
Unable to get the breakthrough, Stokes tried the leg-side trap by placing 6 fielders on the leg-side and asking his fastest bowler Brydon Carse to bowl short. Today, it was sure not to work against Jadeja, or Shubman. Despite a short and deep fine leg and also a square leg, Jadeja would roll his wrists over the ball to keep a tight control of his strokes. Those were easy runs, India was sailing, England were frustrated.
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Offie Shoaib Basheer tried his Rishabh Pant plan that worked on Day 1. Toss up the balls, tempting the batsmen to lift and place a catcher at long-on. Jadeja danced down the track and didn’t get hold of the ball but it didn’t go to a catcher. Though, a few overs later, he did connect one that went for a six. Jadeja looked set for a hundred but suddenly out of the blue, when Stokes seemed to have exhausted his plans, a ball from Josh Tongue suddenly shot up and Jadeja gloved it to the keeper on the leg-side.
Jadeja’s innings on Day 2 of the Test epitomises his long career. This Test will be remembered for Shubman double hundred and the statisticians would record his 89 as just another half-century. But the team management will understand the importance of this contribution. Both the captain and coach had lamented that their lower order’s lack of contribution was the reason for the first Test defeat. Jadeja put his hand up and did the needful in the very next Test.
Those in leadership roles, the decision-makers, love a player like Jadeja. Players like Jadeja get the job done and they are also not in any leadership race. Not surprising that he has outlived his more famous contemporaries. Jadeja is that rare cricketer who knew his strength and also his weakness. Despite the all-rounder abilities, he knew that leadership didn’t suit his temperament. So he didn’t clamour for it, he knew he could bat, bowl and field, so he gave it all when he was on field.
He once shared a piece of advice his father had given. He was explaining why he doesn’t try too hard to be in the spotlight or give many interviews. “Ground mein perform karo, bus baat khatam (Perform on the field and the chatter ends there),” he said. For over 15 years, when it comes to Jadeja or discussion about his place in the side it’s “baat khatam”.
