ENG Vs IND: Ravindra Jadeja's 89 Highlights His Value As India's Lower-Order Glue In The Edgbaston Test

Team India veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja had an impressive outing with the bat on Day 2 of the second Test of the ongoing five–match series against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Thursday, July 3.

Team India resumed their first innings batting on Day 2 with an overnight total of 310/5, with Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja batting on 114 and 41, respectively. The pair had stitched together an unbroken 99-run stand for the sixth wicket to put the visitors in a commanding position at stumps on Day 1.

Gill and Jadeja hold India's innings together to frustrate England's bowlers, ensuring a strong first-innings total and underlining the depth in India's batting at Edgbaston. England's bowling attack, despite a couple of early breakthroughs, struggled to make further inroads as the pair's discipline and counter-attacking approach blunted their momentum and set the tone for the remainder of the Test.

Jadeja's knock loosens England's grip on India's batting

Ravindra Jadeja was quite instrumental alongside Shubman Gill in extending India's dominance on Day 2, bringing up a crucial 89 off 137 balls, laced with 10 fours and a six, to solidify India's position and frustrate the English attack.

Jadeja walked in to bat when Nitish Kumar Reddy fell for just 1 run at 211/5 and joined Shubman Gill at the crease. The situation demanded composure and resilience as the visitors needed to rebuild the innings with a steady partnership after a brief collapse following dismissals of Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Ravindra Jadeja, as usual, rose to the occasion when he was needed the most and offered enough support to Shubman Gill, who completed his second consecutive century. After scoring 41 off 67 balls on day 1, Jadeja returned on Day 2 with renewed focus and intent, pushing loose deliveries not only to complete his fifty but also to add 104 runs to his 203-run stand for the fifth wicket with Shubman Gill.

RAVINDRA JADEJACame in to bat amid a flurry of wickets and scored a fighting fifty! 👏Will he turn it into a well-deserved hundred? 🤔#ENGvIND 👉 2nd TEST, Day 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar ➡ twitter/CXUgTO5Zhq

- Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 3, 2025

More than Shubman Gill, it was Ravindra Jadeja who was frustrating the England bowlers as he kept rotating the strike smartly and pounced on every scoring opportunity to deny the hosts any momentum in the morning session of Day 2. Jadeja displayed his grit and game awareness, mixing caution with aggression to perfection as he scored the remaining 48 runs in just 70 balls, guiding India past the 400-run mark.

Ravindra Jadeja looked well-set for a well-deserved century but failed to judge the bouncer off Josh Tongue, which resulted in getting caught by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, ending his knock and giving relief to much much-frustrated England bowling attack.

Importance of Ravindra Jadeja's 89

Ravindra Jadeja's innings holds a lot of significance in the first innings, irrespective of where Team India eventually finishes in the Edgbaston Test. If we look at both innings of the Headingley Test, the visitors suffered a dramatic collapse in the lower order, despite being in strong positions to post a formidable total on total.

When Team India lost the fifth wicket, there was every chance of another lower-order collapse, much like what transpired at Headingley. When Jadeja walked in to bat, India were in a precarious position with the potential of a lower-order collapse looming large.

RAVINDRA JADEJA DISMISSED FOR 89..!!!- He missed a well deserving Hundred by just 11 runs, What a knock, came when India were 211 and added 200 runs partnership with Gill 🫡 twitter/9qDfrBVKfw

- Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 3, 2025

However, the southpaw, along with his crucial partnership with Indian skipper Shubman Gill, managed to pull India out of trouble and steer the innings towards stability. In the second innings of the Headingley Test, Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten on 25 off 40 balls despite a collapse in the lower order.

Jadeja's composed 89 off 137 balls brought a much-needed stability in the lower order, and his partnership with Gill not only rescued India from a potential collapse but also laid a foundation for a strong total on the board that put England under significant pressure at Edgbaston.

The backbone of India's lower order

Ravindra Jadeja has been a true backbone of India's lower order for over a decade. Jadeja has often delivered match-winning spells with the ball, but his batting has been equally impactful, offering resilience, versatility, and crucial runs in pressure situations that have repeatedly rescued India from collapses.

Jadeja's brilliant innings of 89 off 137 balls can be mirrored by his similar performance in the 2022 Edgbaston Test, where India were in a precarious situation with 98/5, but stitched a crucial 222-run partnership with Rishabh Pant, scoring a magnificent 104, successfully seizing control of the match from the hands of England.

Ravindra Jadeja has often acted more as a crisis man than just a lower-order batter, consistently stepping up when the top-order falters and ensuring India maintains stability and momentum in a crucial phase of a Test match.

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