Ravindra Jadeja fought brilliantly, as befits a warrior. It was neither aggressive nor visceral, nor was it violent or counterpunching. After all, this wasn't the moment for arrogance, nor was it the place for adventure.

Jadeja drew on his wealth of expertise at Lord's on Monday, where India's chances of reducing a score of 193 were at best slim. Into his vast store of mental fortitude. But also self-assurance and confidence, in addition to his reservoir of discipline and restraint. With a little bit of aid, some assistance, dedication, and the backing of two men who aren't well known for their batting prowess, he was certain he could do the job.

The 36-year-old southpaw nearly saved the day, which is a testament to his talent. He nearly pulled off a miracle, but he ran out of collaborators. One couldn't help but feel for him at the conclusion when he stood in disbelief and dismay, with his hand on his helmet, as Mohammed Siraj drove Shoaib Bashir onto his stumps and gave England the victory in the most insane Test match ever, winning by 22 runs.

Jadeja's performance with the ball has not been the best, but he has excelled with the bat. Jadeja has been the epitome of consistency, even though Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul have dominated the headlines with their many flirtations with three-figures during the past three weeks. 89 and 69* in Birmingham, 72 and 61* at Lord's, and 11 and 25* in Leeds. He has already hit four straight half-centuries, and he has not yet been dismissed in the second innings of a Test.

He is the link between the specialist top order and the second half, which is well-stocked with all-rounders, at number six, where he has been for the past three innings. His companions are the young Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy, followed by the pacers. Jadeja's capacity to play with a specialist batter was never questioned, but on Monday, he demonstrated that he is just as capable of playing with the tail, particularly at 82 for seven and 112 for eight.

Jadeja's farming of the strike was flawless when he teamed up with Jasprit Bumrah for the ninth wicket and Siraj for the last. With Bumrah, Jadeja faced 78 of the 132 pitches in a set of 35, and with Siraj, who helped him score 23 for the tenth, Jadeja faced 50 of the 80 balls that were negotiated. This is about 60.4% of the 212 balls that the previous two wickets saw off.

Was Ravindra Jadeja able to strike more?

Was there anything else Jadeja might have done? Perhaps, but keep in mind that he had nothing, really nothing, to work with. Following Nitish's expulsion, Jadeja was forced to handle the majority of the deliveries and also carry the most of the scoring. Because of Ben Stokes' defensive fields, which were designed to provide him with the single and expose Ten and Jack, he was unable to score at will without taking chances, and a Jadeja taking the adventurous route was exactly what India could not afford. Because of all the hitters in India's second innings, it felt as though India had a chance until he was in the middle, and he seemed the most confident, the most composed, and the least bothered by the unpredictability of a day-five surface. The criticism that Jadeja should have been more proactive is immediately refuted by the fact that no one in their right mind would have attempted to challenge the seven fielders who were covering the boundary ropes.

The one thing he would have loved to do is bunt the ball into the big gaps in the huge outfield and look for twos so that the score board could keep moving and he could retain the strike in the early half of each over. But neither Bumrah nor Siraj is the quickest between 22 yards, and a potential run out was not a sensible exchange. Therefore, Jadeja was compelled to bat with one hand tied behind his back in a variety of ways. Due to his situational awareness and natural talent, he was able to see off four and a half hours and 181 deliveries, and bring India within four strokes of a 2-1 lead.

On achieving his half-century, Jadeja refrained from his favorite ritual of celebrating batting accomplishments with a left-handed bat twirl, saying, "I am a Rajput but I can't bring a sword to the ground, so I have to make do with a bat." Monday is number 26. Because the work was not yet complete. Without a doubt, that well-known display of wrist strength would have appeared if India had crossed the finish line. Sadly, he was left in tears and agony. Test cricket is so harsh. Super Test Cricket.

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