Virat Kohli’s close aide attacks Ravindra Jadeja after flop show in Leeds Test
Published - 25 Jun 2025, 04:52 PM | Updated - 25 Jun 2025, 05:28 PM
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Dinesh Karthik has blamed Ravindra Jadeja’s baffling approach with the ball on the final day for India’s crushing five-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Headingley. The cricket analyst questioned why someone as experienced as Ravindran Jadeja failed to exploit the rough patches that could’ve turned the game in India’s favor at Headingley.
The left-arm spinner was expected to be India’s key spinner in the final innings, but he returned with underwhelming figures of 1 for 104 in 24 overs as England pulled off a record run chase of 371 to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series.
Dinesh Karthik calls out Ravindra Jadeja’s tactics as England chase down 371
With England chasing a massive 371, all eyes were on Jadeja to step up as India’s main spin threat. But instead of attacking the rough from wide angles, especially against left-handers like Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes, the seasoned spinner stuck to a straighter line for most of the innings.
That approach allowed the England batters to dominate and set the tone for the successful and record chase against India, which left Dinesh Karthik baffled at Jadeja. The former Indian wicketkeeper-batter has pointed out that Jadeja’s reluctance to bowl into the rough gave Duckett the freedom to take the game away from India at Headingley.
The England opener launched a relentless assault with his reverse sweeps and clever placement, completely unsettling India’s fielding plans. It wasn’t until after tea that Jadeja finally adjusted his angle and bowled from wider of the crease. However, Ravindra Jadeja managed to dismiss Ben Stokes using the rough, but England were already close to their target in the first Test.
Dinesh Karthik baffled by Ravindra Jadeja’s passive spin tactics
Dinesh Karthik was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz, “He was (Ravindra Jadeja bowling straight and not into the rough), and that baffles me, because for a man with so much experience, he must know what it means to bowl in the rough. He should have gone wide of the wicket and bowled into the rough very early on.”
The commentator further explained, “What Duckett did today was domination of the purest form of the game, in the most clever manner. The way he just played with Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill, saying, No matter where you put the field, I am going to play that shot.”
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Dinesh Karthik criticizes Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna's ineffective spells
The former Indian cricketer admitted that India doesn’t have a quality bowling attack and lashed out at Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna for not helping Jasprit Bumrah on the other hand. He also noted that Bumrah was feeling the pressure when others were not stepping up.
Karthik signed off by saying, “I don't think we genuinely have the skill set beyond the certain bowlers who can actually make inroads; that's a fact. You can't be too hard on the Indian team; they will find bowlers eventually, and they will start defending these scores. Bumrah and Siraj bowled a high-quality first spell; they did not get a wicket, but they set it up. Shardul and Prasidh did not bowl consistent lengths; it was all over the place.”
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