“Could have taken the odd chance” – Sunil Gavaskar points out the missing element in Ravindra Jadeja’s fight in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar has called out Ravindra Jadeja to be more proactive with the bat following India’s 22-run loss against England in the third Test at Lord’s on Monday, July 14. The 76-year-old believes that Jadeja should have played attacking shots against spinner Joe Root and Shoaib Bashir instead of sticking to defensive strokes during the majority of his innings.

The remarks came as Jadeja scored an unbeaten 61 off 181 balls at a strike rate of 33.70 in the second innings as the tourists failed to chase down a modest target of 193 on the fifth and final day of the Test match. The southpaw hit one six and four boundaries during his gritty knock.

Sunil Gavaskar said on Sony Sports (via NDTV):

"A partnership of 60-70 would have made a difference. India never got that. You could say that Jadeja could have taken the odd chance and not necessarily the aerial route when Joe Root and Shoaib Bashir was bowling. But full marks to him (Jadeja).”

---

“That was the biggest turning point of the match” – Sunil Gavaskar on Rishabh Pant’s run out in the first innings

Sunil Gavaskar further picked Rishabh Pant’s run out in the first innings as the turning point of the third Test. The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out how Pant’s wicket helped the hosts fight back in the game by breaking a 141-run fourth-wicket partnership between him and KL Rahul.

Gavaskar said (via India Today):

“That was the biggest turning point of the match. Both batters were going so well—splendid batting from them. It was like a fire-and-ice combination. Rahul was all calm precision, playing calculated strokes, while Rishabh Pant brought power and punch, really putting pressure on the England bowling attack.”

“It was a rollicking partnership, and then, just in that last hour before lunch, the run-out changed everything. Yes, we did manage to get to the 100-run mark after lunch, but a run-out like that can linger in the mind. Maybe that's why, after the hundred, there was just a slight lapse—a shot that got Rahul out. So, in a short span, India lost two well-set batters. Suddenly, two new batters had to come in and build a partnership from scratch—and that’s never easy," he added.

Rahul (100 off 177) followed Pant (74 off 112) in the pavilion soon after the Lunch break as India lost two well-set batters inside 11 deliveries in the first essay. Later, the tourists failed to gain a first-innings lead, getting bundled out for 387.

The fourth Test between the two teams will be held at Old Trafford in Manchester, starting on July 23.

Click here to check out the ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test full scorecard.