Sandhu reflected on the dramatic conclusion of the Lord’s Test, suggesting that Ravindra Jadeja should have placed greater trust in Jasprit Bumrah.
Sandhu Questions Jadeja’s Approach in Lord’s Thriller
Former India cricketer Balwinder Singh Sandhu reflected on Ravindra Jadeja’s knock at Lord’s, suggesting that pressure got the better of him while batting with the tail. Highlighting the tension in the final moments, the 1983 World Cup-winning star noted that Jadeja—usually calm under pressure—may have allowed doubts to creep in during his stand with Jasprit Bumrah.
With India reeling at 112/8 while chasing 193, Jadeja found resilience in the tail. His 35-run partnership with Bumrah, spread over 22 overs, turned a lost cause into a gripping contest. Bumrah faced 54 balls for just five runs, seemingly assigned to hold one end firmly.
Balwinder, recalling Jadeja’s U-19 days at the National Cricket Academy, praised his maturity from a young age but felt that fear of failure made him hesitate to trust his tail at Lord’s.
“Even back then, Jadeja showed maturity beyond his years. He’s a smart cricketer, calm under pressure, but this time, maybe the fear of failing—or the pressure of not trusting the tail—got the better of him,” Sandhu wrote in his Mid-Day column.
‘If only he had trusted Jasprit Bumrah a bit more…’
Ravindra Jadeja fought valiantly on Day 5 with a gritty 61 off 181 balls, featuring four fours and a six, but ultimately fell short of taking India over the line.
Reflecting on the tense finish, Balwinder Singh Sandhu emphasized that Jadeja could have shown more faith in Jasprit Bumrah, given how solidly he was defending. Sandhu pointed out a critical moment where Jadeja took a single on the fourth ball, a decision that shifted the strike unnecessarily.
“If only he had trusted Jasprit Bumrah a bit more—especially when Bumrah was defending so well—and resisted taking that single off the fourth ball to retain strike. Had he backed himself to finish it in those last two balls, with the field up, it was a perfect moment to go for the boundary,” Sandhu wrote, highlighting what he saw as a missed opportunity to close out the match.