Ravindra Jadeja is quietly doing what India’s biggest batting names couldn’t in England, and it’s time the cricket world paid attention. With a composed 72-run knock on Day 3 at Lord’s, Jadeja not only held India’s innings together in a tricky phase but also continued a stunning run of consistency in English conditions. It was his third consecutive 50+ score in the series, and more importantly, his seventh overall Test fifty in England, a number that now puts him level with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane.
But here’s the jaw-dropper: Jadeja’s Test average in England now stands at 36.32: higher than some of India’s most revered batting legends. We’re talking about players like Kohli, Pujara, Laxman, Sehwag, Rahane, Dhawan, and Gambhir. Jadeja, often tagged as a lower-order all-rounder, has outshone all of them with the bat on one of cricket’s toughest tours.
Jadeja’s Class in Crisis
India were 254 for 5 when he walked in, a classic collapse brewing. But like he has so many times before, Jadeja brought calm to the chaos. This wasn't just a cameo. It was a proper, technically solid innings on a Lord’s surface starting to offer movement and bounce.
His recent form with the bat isn’t a flash in the pan. On India’s last tour of England in 2021, he was promoted to No. 5, a position of responsibility, trust, and control. That promotion was a nod to his growing stature as a proper Test batter and he has rewarded that trust with consistency and maturity.
Not Just an All-Rounder — A Pure Test Cricketer
This is Jadeja’s fourth Test tour of England, and while the wickets haven’t come in bunches yet, he would still walk into the XI purely on his batting form. He has quietly built up a record that rivals India’s finest, but because he doesn’t bat at No. 3 or wear the captain’s armband, his contributions often go under the radar.
But numbers don’t lie. And Jadeja’s numbers in England now demand recognition. With the pitch at Lord’s beginning to turn, his time with the ball may yet come in this match. But with the bat alone, he’s already left his mark, again.
Final Thought: Time to Stop Calling Him Underrated
Jadeja has been consistent. He has delivered in crunch moments. He has matched and now overtaken elite company. So maybe it’s time we drop the “underrated” tag. Ravindra Jadeja is just one of India’s best red-ball cricketers. Period.
