Birmingham [UK], July 3 : Seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja continued to be a vital cog in tail-end machinery in England with another valiant display with the bat, transforming India's lower-order from weakness to strength during the second Test at Edgbaston.
In the series opener at Headingley, India positioned itself in a place of dominance with 430/3 on the board in the first innings. However, England made inroads and forced India to pack their bags on 471. A similar situation unfolded in the second innings when tourists gave away their last six wickets for a mere 31 runs to settle for 364.
India management's decision to field three all-rounders drew widespread criticism from fans and former cricketers. However, in the second Test, India's gamble to add a layer of depth in the batting department paid off with Jadeja and Washington Sundar's resilient knocks on the second day to script a redemption arc.
Even though India Test captain Shubman Gill is bound to dominate the headlines, courtesy of his blistering 269 (387), Jadeja and Sundar silently played the second fiddle, which allowed the 25-year-old to express himself freely.
Jadeja raised a rollicking 203-run partnership with his valiant 89(137) with Gill to bring up the third 200-plus stand for the sixth wicket or lower for India in England after 222 between Rishabh Pant and Jadeja at the same venue in 2022 and 204 between Pant and KL Rahul at The Oval in 2018. Overall, this is just the second 200-plus stand for the sixth wicket or lower at Edgbaston with Jadeja involved in both.
The 36-year-old lost his wicket due to a rip-roaring bumper from Josh Tongue, which allowed him to get the better of the southpaw, who ballooned the ball off his glove to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Sundar joined hands with Gill at the crease to torment England bowlers who felt tiredness creep into their bodies. Sundar added 144 runs with Gill to silence the ever-roaring Three Lions. The fiery stand between the duo was just the second instance of a visiting team stitching up two century stands for the sixth wicket or lower in a Test innings in England, after West Indies at Trent Bridge in 1957. It is also the second such instance for India in an away Test after Kingston 1971.
The spin-bowling all-rounder was outfoxed by Joe Root's delivery that shot up straight after bouncing off the surface to beat his bat and go through the gap to crash into the stumps. After Sundar's return ticket was punched on 42(103), India managed to finish with a daunting 587 on the board.
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