Ravindra Jadeja’s courageous unbeaten 61 proved insufficient as England secured a 22-run victory in the Lord’s Test. Despite his valiant fight, India fell short in the closely contested third Test, giving England a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. England wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler highly praised Jadeja’s innings, drawing parallels between his resolute approach and that of former India captain MS Dhoni.
Jadeja marked his fourth consecutive fifty in the series while wickets tumbled around him. India began Day 5 needing 193 runs with 4 wickets down at 58/4 but quickly found themselves struggling at 82/7 after KL Rahul’s dismissal for 33. Jadeja then played a masterful role, shielding the tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj as they inch closer to the target. Bumrah and Siraj showed determined resistance, contributing 5 runs off 54 balls and 4 runs off 30 balls respectively, with Jadeja adding 35 runs in partnership with Bumrah and 23 with Siraj through disciplined singles and timely boundaries.
Ultimately, the innings ended when Shoaib Bashir clean bowled Siraj, sealing a narrow win for England. Jos Buttler lauded Jadeja’s stamina and tactical batting under pressure, highlighting his “stickability” and fighting spirit reminiscent of Dhoni’s style of batting deep into run chases, hoping the opponents break first
“It was Dhoni-style”—Jos Buttler on Ravindra Jadeja’s gritty knock
Jos Buttler hailed Ravindra Jadeja’s gritty innings at Lord’s as “Dhoni-style” batting, praising his unwavering determination and tactical approach in a tense run chase. Jos Buttler described Jadeja as an incredible cricketer who always rises in crucial moments and noted how India relied on him to anchor the innings despite wickets tumbling at the other end.
He contrasted Jadeja’s stoic “stickability” with KL Rahul’s calmness and Rishabh Pant’s aggressive intent, saying Jadeja’s mindset was to stay until the very end, hoping the bowler would crack first—much like the legendary MS Dhoni’s approach in pressure situations.
Buttler also lauded Jadeja’s leadership in guiding tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj during the chase, emphasizing the trust and clarity Jadeja showed in assigning them roles. This belief helped Bumrah and Siraj contribute valuable runs, making the contest fiercely competitive until England clinched the win by 22 runs after Siraj’s dismissal ended India’s innings.
Speaking on his podcast For the Love of Cricket with Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler said,
“Jadeja is one of those players India turn to. You could tell he was going to be a key figure. He fights and thrives under pressure. He’s got that Dhoni-style of batting—just hanging in there, hoping the opposition breaks first.”
This high praise from Jos Buttler underscores Jadeja’s critical role in keeping India in the game deep into the final day at Lord’s, highlighting his grit and cricketing intelligence
