Ravindra Jadeja's gritty 61 not out in the third Test at Lord's is already being talked about as one of his career's best innings, but former India captain Anil Kumble feels that a major moment of judgment lapse towards the end of the game could have deprived India of a sensational victory.
After India's close 23-run loss, Kumble praised Jadeja's grit but identified an important tactical blunder — allowing Mohammed Siraj to face an entire over from England's Shoaib Bashir towards the end of the pursuit.
If someone had to take a gamble and get out, it should have been Jadeja, not Siraj," Kumble pointed out, meaning the crucial decision to let Siraj face strike with only 23 runs remaining. "Giving a full over to Bashir at this stage was an error.
Jadeja had arrived at the crease early on Day 5, with India in deep trouble at 82 while chasing 193. He displayed remarkable patience and poise, stitching together a fightback as wickets fell around him. His unbeaten knock brought India agonizingly close to an improbable win before Siraj was bowled trying to fend off Bashir — a bowler whom Jadeja had successfully shielded Siraj from for most of the partnership.
Kumble made a comparison with another heartache of the past — India's narrow defeat against Pakistan in the 1999 Chennai Test. "It brought back memories of that Test when Javagal Srinath had been bowled by Saqlain Mushtaq while accompanying Sachin Tendulkar, who had nearly achieved a miracle. It's a similar sort of feeling," he recalled.
While praising Jadeja for his composure and intelligent strike rotation, Kumble believed that there was scope for being more aggressive up front in the innings against England spinners. "The pitch was not turning square. Jadeja could have attacked them. That might have turned things around," he added, talking about England's spinning options Bashir, Root, and Woakes.
Kumble also mentioned other incidents that led to India's collapse — particularly the 32 extras that were given away in the first innings, totaling 65 in aggregate over both innings. He also inferred that Siraj having been hit on the shoulder by a Jofra Archer delivery might have unsettled him just as that ill-fated last over came up.
Despite the loss, Kumble complimented the edge-of-the-seat cricket played so far. "Session by session, it's been a close series. Test cricket is alive and kicking," he added, citing that all three encounters had gone right down to the wire, with England currently leading 2-1.
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