"Jadeja Was Scared": 1983 World Cup Winner Balwinder Sandhu Criticizes All-Rounder After Lord's Test Defeat

Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 61-run knock in the Lord’s Test against England came under fire from former India cricketer Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who claimed that the all-rounder played with fear in the final stages of the match, failing to trust tail-ender Jasprit Bumrah during a critical run chase.

India was struggling at 112 for 8 in the second innings of the third Test, before Jadeja stitched a vital partnership with Bumrah and later Mohammed Siraj. Jadeja held one end with resilience, but India fell short when Siraj was dismissed by Shoaib Bashir, handing England a thrilling win. Jadeja remained not out on 61 off 181 balls, while Bumrah scored 5 off 54 deliveries during a gritty stand of 35 runs in 22 overs.

Sandhu's Sharp Remarks

In a column for Mid Day, Sandhu—part of India's 1983 World Cup-winning squad—criticised Jadeja’s approach, stating:

“He was under pressure in those final moments. That’s probably why he didn’t trust Bumrah much and kept most of the strike. He should have shown more confidence in Bumrah, who was defending well.”

Sandhu, who has seen Jadeja evolve since his Under-19 days at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), praised the cricketer’s intelligence and composure but suggested that fear of failure might have influenced Jadeja’s cautious tactics this time.

“Jadeja Is a Mature Player, But…”

“Jadeja has always been a clever and mature player, even in his U-19 days,” Sandhu noted. “But at Lord’s, it seems the pressure got to him. Maybe the fear of losing or lack of belief in the tail made him shield the strike too much.”

Could Jadeja Have Done More?

Sandhu also pointed out that Jadeja’s decision to take a single off the fourth ball of the over, instead of retaining strike, was questionable given the situation.

“With only two balls left, and Bumrah showing such strong defense, Jadeja could’ve waited and finished the over himself,” he suggested.

Despite the defeat, fans lauded Jadeja for his fighting spirit, but Sandhu’s comments reignite the debate: Should Jadeja have shown more faith in his partners, or was he right to try and take charge himself?