Ravindra Jadeja can frustrate English batsmen, if pacers fail

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja can frustrate the English batsmen into submission, if the Indian pacers fail to complete the job, as India held the whip hand  at close of play on the fourth day in the 2nd cricket test match against England – with the hosts rather vulnerable at 72 for three, having been set an unachievable task of scoring 608 runs to win. 

The Indians trail 0-1 in the 5-test series, having lost the first encounter at Headingley, Leeds.

Cricket is an unpredictable sport. Theory does not always translate to reality. But on the fifth and final day of the test, with a wearing pitch not likely to offer anything special to a quicker bowler, a spinner would enter the frame. That slow bowler is Jadeja, despite the wicket not appearing to have cracked or loosened to lend a huge advantage to a trundler either.

There is very occasionally uneven bounce, as Shubman Gill experienced when he was caught and bowled by the lanky England off-spinner of Pakistani origin, Shoaib Bashir. By this stage, of course, the new Indian captain had posted a mighty 161 runs, on the back of his monumental 269 in the first innings. This aggregate of 430 in a match represented the second highest such feat in test history. In 1990, Graham Gooch of England accumulated 456 versus India at Lord’s.

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However, since the Indian quicker bowlers have so far monopolised the English wickets in both innings, why should Jadeja hold the key to an Indian victory? The answer on paper is simple.

Where India plundered most of their total of 427 runs for six in the second innings on the fourth day, this was an indication that the pitch hadn’t deteriorated much; and scientifically cannot be expected to hurtle towards disintegration on the last day. It could worsen somewhat, thereby generating an infrequent indifferent bounce – to a bowler’s advantage. But not much more.

Rough patches have developed at both ends of the wicket as a result of fast bowlers’ boots pounding into the ground in these areas on their follow through – more at the Birmingham City End. Admittedly, these are more worrying for a left-handed batsman and there is only one left-hander remaining in the English hut – in their skipper Ben Stokes.

But Jadeja could nonetheless persevere from over the wicket, targeting the rough. This could be deemed to be negative bowling; and a right-handed batsman could potentially respond with equal negativity by padding away deliveries which pitch outside the leg stump – since such balls cannot claim lbws.

India, though, have colossal runs on the board. They can afford to crowd England’s batsmen with a ring of close-in fielders on both on and off sides. A modern-day batsman, especially in England ‘bazball’ mindset, are generally not expected to demonstrate patience by not offer strokes ball after ball. They could either try to attack or in leaving deliveries be taken by surprise; and consequently perish. There should be prodigious turn off the right and varying bounce.  

Else, the batsmen might give vent to their frustration by being aggressive against the bowler at the other end, and consequently paying the penalty. A battle of attrition dawns on the concluding day.

All of the above could evolve into misplaced analysis; for England could collapse to India’s faster bowlers, with no trial by spin being necessary. Cricket is a great leveller for forecasters!

And there is, needless to mention, the vagaries of the English weather. Under heavy cloud cover even an old ball will wobble, not to mention rain – of which there was up to a 40 percent possibility – washing out play and denying India a deserving triumph.

Ashis Ray can be followed @ashiscray on X

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