When the chips were down, it was the dazzling duo of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja who rose to the occasion and rescued India on Day 4 of the third Test against Australia. Riding on their knocks, India narrowly escaped a follow-on Day 4 of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy's third Test at Gabba. While Akash Deep's late blitz was crucial, the key contributions from KL Rahul (84) and Ravindra Jadeja (77) were instrumental in India's fightback. With India reeling at 74/5 at one stage, still needing over 150 runs to avoid the follow-on, Rahul and Jadeja stitched the much-needed partnership. Rahul and Jadeja frustrated the Australian bowlers with their patient approach. The duo shared a crucial 67-run partnership for the sixth wicket before Rahul's dismissal to Nathan Lyon.
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KL Rahul heaps praise on 'savior' Ravindra Jadeja
Meanwhile, in the post-match press conference, Rahul lauded Jadeja's brave knock and the way he delivered under pressure. He said that Jadeja's contribution in adding crucial runs with the tail-enders helped India avoid the follow-on.
"He (Ravindra Jadeja) was brilliant today and he has been brilliant for batting down the order for us for many years. That's what we expect of (Ravindra) Jadeja and he has proved that he can do this and he has done this for so many years. So, really happy that firstly I could stitch a partnership with him," Rahul said in the press conference at Day 4 stumps.
"He (Ravindra Jadeja) was brilliant today and he has been brilliant for batting down the order for us for many years. That's what we expect of (Ravindra) Jadeja and he has proved that he can do this and he has done this for so many years. So, really happy that firstly I could stitch a partnership with him," Rahul said in the press conference at Day 4 stumps.
The star batter also mentioned that Jadeja is an experienced player and has played for so many years and acknowledged that the all-rounder is a meticulous planner, with a clear strategy for each innings. Notably, Jadeja's stunning knock came after he was benched for the first two Tests of the ongoing series.
"He is a very experienced guy, played there for so many years, so he understands exactly what he needs to do and how he needs to perform and get runs for the team at that stage. Often, it's only Jadeja's bowling that's spoken about but I think he has been a great performer even with the bat. He has a solid technique. I enjoy batting with him, I enjoy watching him play. Watching him train, practice, he seems to have his game plan pretty simple and sorted. So, really happy that he could come into the team and do the job for us," Rahul signed off.
KL Rahul led India's batting effort with a solid 84 runs off 139 balls. He struck eight fours during his innings, displaying resilience against the fiery Australian pace attack. Ravindra Jadeja followed up with a crucial 77 runs off 123 balls, including seven fours and a six. After the loss of Rahul, Jadeja anchored the innings, guiding the tail-enders and ensuring India avoided the follow-on. At the end of the Day 4, India were placed at 252/9 with Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep intact on the crease on the scores of 10 and 27 respectively.
