"He bowled either too short or he was bowling too fast, too full" - Varun Aaron criticizes star bowler's performance in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former India player Varun Aaron has criticized Ravindra Jadeja for his bowling on Day 5 of the first Test against England. He pointed out that the left-arm spinner failed to land the ball on the rough and was bowling either too short or too fast and full.

England registered a five-wicket win against India in the first Test in Leeds on Tuesday, June 24. Jadeja returned figures of 1/104 in 24 overs as the hosts chased down a 371-run target in the final innings relatively comfortably.

During an interaction on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues,' Aaron was asked about Ben Duckett blunting Jadeja with his reverse sweeps during the chase.

"More than the reverse sweeps, if we go back and view that footage when Jadeja was bowling over the wicket, I would say he missed the rough a lot. He bowled either too short or he was bowling too fast, too full. They were all pitching in the middle of the wicket, not on the rough," he responded.

The former India pacer added that an experienced bowler like Jadeja was expected to perform better on a fifth-day surface.

"Somebody who is really experienced, who bowls into the rough really well, especially in Indian conditions where there is a lot of rough, and he and (Ravichandran) Ashwin have stitched together so many match-winning performances, you would back him to bowl into the rough on the fifth day and secure India a very historic victory," Aaron observed.

Varun Aaron opined that Ravindra Jadeja would be disappointed with his performance. He highlighted that the all-rounder could have been one of the few Indian spinners to get a fifer in an overseas Test, considering the conditions were supporting him.

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"India are in big trouble when it comes to Joe Root" - Varun Aaron on England batter heading into ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Joe Root scored an unbeaten half-century in England's second innings of the first Test. [P/C: Getty]

In the same interaction, Varun Aaron was asked about Joe Root taking England to a win with his unbeaten knock.

"India are in big trouble when it comes to Joe Root. The way he is playing, he is shuffling so much outside off-stump, which is a good position to play anything that comes at him. He is almost removing lbw from the picture because he is outside the off-stump," he responded.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that seamers, barring Jasprit Bumrah, are unlikely to dismiss the former England skipper.

"Number one, you can't get him lbw as a fast bowler because he is going to be hit outside the line, and two, he is in such a good position to play anything that's outside the off-stump that he is meeting everything under his eye line. So as a bowler, you have to come up with something really special, which only Bumrah can, to get him out," Aaron elaborated.

Joe Root scored an unbeaten 53 off 84 deliveries in England's second innings of the Leeds Test. He was caught at first slip by Karun Nair off Jasprit Bumrah's bowling for a 58-ball 28 in the first innings.