Ravindra Jadeja was arguably Team India’s biggest disappointment in the first Test against England, struggling to make an impact with both bat and ball. While he managed some runs with the bat, his bowling was largely ineffective. As India slumped to a 5-wicket defeat in the opening match of the five-Test series, Jadeja, the team’s only frontline spinner, took just one wicket—coming in England’s second innings. His underwhelming performance sparked questions about his effectiveness in English conditions. In contrast, pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and even Shardul Thakur delivered better bowling figures than the seasoned all-rounder.
Sanjay Manjrekar Criticises Ravindra Jadeja’s Ineffective Use of Day 5 Pitch
Ravindra Jadeja Speaking after the match on Star Sports, Manjrekar remarked, “Interestingly, the pitch didn’t offer much lateral movement for India’s seamers. Even someone like Bumrah struggled to extract anything from it—neither off the surface nor in the air. And when you consider that Ben Duckett has an excellent record against both Bumrah and Jadeja—he’s never been dismissed by Jadeja, even at home—you realise England had a strong advantage. If a batter is comfortable against your two main bowlers, you’re staring at defeat.”
While young pacer Prasidh Krishna came under scrutiny for conceding runs at an economy rate of over 6 across two innings, Manjrekar chose not to be harsh on the rookie. Ravindra Jadeja “It’s not fair to criticise someone like Prasidh Krishna this early in his Test career. Yes, he has areas to work on, but I’m more disappointed with Jadeja,” he said.
Ravindra Jadeja: Manjrekar continued, “This was a Day 5 pitch with visible rough patches—ideal conditions for a spinner. I know there were a couple of chances, but we expect more from Jadeja. These aren’t typical English conditions where the surface offers nothing. I thought he didn’t exploit the rough enough, especially against Ben Stokes. And when he finally did, it was too late in the innings against Ben Duckett. From an experienced bowler, playing against experienced batsmen, you anticipate more. Jadeja was a letdown, especially since the seamers had little to work with—but he had something, and he didn’t make it count.”
