Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the video of head coach Gautam Gambhir's dressing room speech after India's painful defeat in the third Test against England at Lord's. The image of a crestfallen Mohammed Siraj being helped to his feet by England's Joe Root and Zak Crawley was mirrored by the equally devastated figure of heartbroken Ravindra Jadeja at the non-striker's end, slowly removing his gloves. While Siraj's anguish was visible as he knelt after the match concluded, Jadeja's disappointment ran just as deep. Jadeja's resilient knock which was an epitome of steadfast patience, unwavering determination, and skillful batting alongside the tailenders that had kept India's hopes alive in the contest. But in the end it all went in vain as England had the last laugh.
Watch Gautam Gambhir's dressing room speech for Ravindra Jadeja following Lord's Test
Jadeja crafted a well-built 61 off 181 deliveries over nearly three hours, during which he partnered with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Despite his monumental effort, India ultimately fell short, losing the match by a narrow margin of 22 runs. While some might have questioned if Jadeja could have adopted a more aggressive approach, particularly after Bumrah's dismissal, the seasoned all-rounder maintained his composure under immense pressure. It was only an unfortunate dismissal of Siraj that prevented a potentially different outcome.
The Indian dressing room, however, harbored no such doubts about Jadeja's approach. This sentiment was clearly evident in the speech delivered by India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, immediately following the heart-wrenching defeat. Gambhir took the lead in commending Jadeja's incredible fight in a passionate address to the team.
In a video shared by the BCCI which was captioned as 'The MVP ft. Ravindra Jadeja' Gautam Gambhir described the innings as an 'incredible fight'.
He specifically praised Jadeja, stating:
“That was an incredible fight. The fight from Jaddu was absolutely brilliant.”
India were chasing a target of just 193 runs, but their batting order faltered, with the top eight wickets falling within the first 40 overs. Jadeja, batting at number 7, demonstrated exceptional composure and resolve, forging crucial partnerships with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The trio bravely resisted the English bowlers for over 34 overs before Siraj's dismissal marked the final wicket, bringing India's innings to a close at 170 runs in 74.5 overs.
Not just Gambhir, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate also lavished immense praise for Jadeja's bravado.
“I always felt he has the ability to take pressure. With so much of experience, he normally comes with something that the team needs in any challenging conditions. Really, really valuable to the team,” Kotak stated.
“His batting has reached another level. The consistency and the calmness he brought in the last two Tests—his defence is rock solid, looks like a proper batter,” Doeschate was heard saying.