India’s hopes of scripting a famous victory at Lord’s were dashed by a narrow 22-run defeat to England in the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. What started as a near-certain collapse at 112/8 transformed into a tense thriller, thanks to the never-say-die attitude of India’s lower order, led by Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
But in the end, Siraj’s dismissal—when the ball rolled back onto his stumps—sealed England’s win and left India heartbroken. The defining moment came from Jadeja, who anchored the innings with a stoic unbeaten 61 off 181 balls. His partnerships—35 runs with debutant Nitish Reddy, 30 with Bumrah, and 23 with Siraj—rekindled hopes of a miracle win.
Ravindra Jadeja’s grit and game awareness helped India inch closer to the target, and at one point, it looked like the visitors might pull off a heist. However, Jadeja’s innings also sparked a debate. His cautious approach, especially against part-timers like Joe Root and young spinner Shoaib Bashir, didn’t sit well with everyone.
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Former India coach Ravi Shastri didn’t hold back in his critique. Speaking on The Overlap Podcast, Shastri felt that Jadeja, along with Reddy, missed a golden opportunity to attack before lunch when the ball was harder and the field was up. “One of them should’ve taken more chances. Once the ball got soft, the bowlers came back in. If they had chipped away and brought the target down to 40, it might have been a different story,” Shastri remarked.
Former head coach Ravi Shastri has highlighted how Ravindra Jadeja could have been an even bigger match-winner for India.https://t.co/zK7s70kvAD
— CrickIt (@CrickitbyHT) July 22, 2025
Throughout the tense final session, Shastri repeatedly urged Jadeja—on commentary and post-match—to be more assertive. He drew comparisons to Ben Stokes’ legendary 135* at Headingley in 2019, when the England captain single-handedly won the game with calculated aggression and belief. Though Jadeja has scored triple-centuries in domestic cricket, Shastri suggested it’s belief—not ability—that separates Jadeja from someone like Stokes.
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“If Jadeja had even 40% of Stokes’ self-belief, he would win more matches for India. There’s no question about his talent. He just needs to take charge more often. He’s got it in him, and that’s what makes it all the more frustrating,” Ravi Shastri concluded.
India may have lost the match, but Jadeja’s performance reignited the discussion about intent, belief, and how close matches are often decided by a few brave decisions.
