London, Jul 13, 2025: Former India captain Anil Kumble has praised Ravindra Jadeja for showcasing maturity and consistency with the bat, calling his performance in the ongoing Lord’s Test a reflection of his evolution as a dependable middle-order batter.
Jadeja scored a composed 72 in India’s first innings, helping the team reach 387 — matching England’s total. His 50-run partnership with Washington Sundar for the seventh wicket proved crucial in pushing India past the 350-mark.
“He has always had the skill — we’ve known that — but his consistent performances with the bat have been exceptional,” said Kumble on JioHotstar. “Jadeja offers value in all departments — bowling, fielding, and now, more than ever, with the bat.”
Kumble highlighted Jadeja’s batting credentials, recalling his two triple centuries in domestic cricket. “It’s no mean feat. The way he constructs his innings shows he’s every bit a proper batter,” he added.
Promoted to No. 6 in the batting order, Jadeja has responded with solid performances. With 266 runs in the series so far, including twin fifties (89 and 69*) in the second Test, he currently ranks sixth among the top run-scorers.
“In the last match, he made a valuable contribution, and today, he stitched another key stand. He has certainly justified the team’s faith in him at No. 6,” Kumble noted.
At stumps, England stood at 2/0 in their second innings after a brief exchange between Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley.
