England are happy that Ravindra Jadeja played only the last Test

A lot was being debated about India’s team selection this summer in England but perhaps the biggest debate has started surfacing just now: Whether India should have played Ravindra Jadeja much earlier? The spinner-all-rounder produced a magnificent performance in the ongoing final Test at The Oval and the English side is happy that he did not feature in any of the previous four games.

Jadeja, a left-arm spinner, took four wickets in England’s first innings and then slammed a 86 not out at No.8 to take India closer to the hosts’ total of 332 runs. He already has a wicket in England’s second innings to take his tally to five. The visitors though have lost the five-Test series 1-3 are playing for pride in the dead rubber to make the scoreline a respectable one at 3-2.

England assistant coach calls Jadeja “exceptional cricketer”

Paul Farbrace, former England first-class cricketer and currently their assistant coach, said Jadeja is an “exceptional cricketer” and the hosts were happy that he featured only in the final Test match. Talking about Jadeja’s innings, Times of India cited the 51-year-old Farbrace being quoted by reports as saying: “It was very frustrating. There was a chance dropped before that last partnership got going but to be fair to be Jadeja, he played magnificently well.”

“I think he’s an exceptional cricketer, a dangerous cricketer – with the bat, ball and in the field – and I think we would probably be reasonably happy that he’s only just played in that last game.” Jadeja added 77 crucial runs with debutant batsman Hanuma Vihari (56) for the seventh wicket and then 32 runs with No.11 Jasprit Bumrah to take India as closer to the England total.

The hosts were 114 for 2 in their second innings, taking an overall lead of 154 runs. Opener Alastair Cook, who is playing his final Test was not out on 46 following his 71 in the first innings.

Jadeja, whose last international game was the one-off Test against Afghanistan at home in June, remained out of contention even as India went on playing an injured Ravichandran Ashwin who failed to impress in the crucial fourth Test.

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