ENG vs IND: Jos Buttler compares Ravindra Jadeja with MS Dhoni after his unbeaten 61 in the Lord's test

Ravindra Jadeja’s valiant knock of 61* went in vain as England won the Lord’s test by 22 runs.

England wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler has likened Ravindra Jadeja‘s incredible feat to that of former India captain MS Dhoni. England won the third test by 22 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match test series, despite Jadeja’s valiant efforts to rally India’s battle on the last day at the Lord’s.

Ravindra Jadeja scored his fourth consecutive fifty in the ongoing test series as India kept losing wickets at the other end. India had already started day 5 in the chase of 193 at 58/4, and they were soon reduced to 82/7 with the reliable KL Rahul being dismissed for 33.

Jadeja brilliantly shepherded Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj as India inched towards victory. Bumrah played 54 balls for his five runs, and Siraj played 30 balls for his four runs. Jadeja managed to add 35 runs with Bumrah and 23 with Siraj, as he took singles and hit the occasional boundary to take India near the target.

“It was Dhoni-style”—Jos Buttler on Ravindra Jadeja’s gritty knock

Unfortunately, Shoaib Bashir clean bowled Mohammed Siraj to end India’s innings on 170 as England won the game by 22 runs and went 2-1 up in the series.

Jos Buttler was also pleased with Ravindra Jadeja and called him an incredible cricketer. He also likened his tenacity in his knock at Lord’s to MS Dhoni’s way of batting.

“Jadeja is an incredible cricketer. He’s one of those players India turns to. You sort of knew in this run chase he was going to be a main character because he’s that kind of personality, and he’s the one who has that bit of something about him. He fights. He is always in the big moments.

If KL Rahul was going to be the calm guy to try and take it through, Pant was probably going to be the opposite—with a bit of dash and trying to win it in an hour—whereas Jadeja has that sort of stickability and ‘I’m going to try and be here till the end.’ It was Dhoni-style, really, just like, ‘I’m going to hope you crack first,’” said Buttler on For the Love of Cricket, his new podcast with Stuart Broad.

Buttler also explained how well Jadeja batted with No. 10 Jasprit Bumrah and No. 11 Mohammed Siraj.

“What I loved most was the way he went about it and how committed he was to his plan. The amount of faith he showed in Nos. 10 and 11, I think, did wonders for them. I think they buy into that—when you give someone trust and you say, ‘We can do this. This is how we are going to win the game.”

“Jadeja gave them a clear role—‘This is what I need from you.’ Bumrah and Siraj, two very feisty, competitive, and proud guys, put their bodies on the line. Absolutely, they’re not the best batters, but it’s like they’re going to find a way. Whether he got it right or wrong, I don’t think it’s necessarily the point, but the conviction that he had in his plan and the way he was going to execute it—probably a plan that no one thought was worthwhile—that’s what stood out,” he said.

The fourth test will begin in Manchester on July 23. India will look to level the series going into the last test at the Oval, which begins on July 31, while England will want to win and bury India’s hopes of a test series win.

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