Ravindra Jadeja capped off a stellar run in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy by crossing the 500-run milestone in his final innings.
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Ravindra Jadeja Joins Elite Club with Bat as India’s 500-Run Trio Shines
It’s a rare feat in Indian Test cricket history for two batters to score over 500 runs in a single series. Before the ongoing clash against England, this had only happened once—in 1971, when Sunil Gavaskar (774) and Dilip Sardesai (642) lit up the Caribbean. This time, KL Rahul (532) and debutant captain Shubman Gill (754) achieved that mark, and now Ravindra Jadeja has joined them. With a fifth half-century in addition to his unbeaten 107 in Manchester, Jadeja became the third Indian batter to cross 500 in the series—an extraordinary milestone.
Ravindra Jadeja rise as a dependable Test batter has been years in the making. Since cracking the code during the 2018 England tour, he has blossomed into a versatile and consistent performer. Over the last five Tests, his second-innings scores (25, 69, 61, 107, and now another fifty) reflect his growing reliability. Once viewed primarily as a spinning threat and electric fielder, Jadeja now offers calm assurance with the bat. His defence has become watertight, his game awareness razor-sharp. From a defensive spinner to the No. 1 Test all-rounder, Jadeja’s evolution has been a masterclass in patience, intelligence, and transformation.
The art of batting alongside tailenders
Ravindra Jadeja’s ability to avoid being tied down has been a hallmark of his recent success. In this series, nearly half of his runs—48.1%—have come in boundaries, yet his strike rate of 55.06 highlights his skill in rotating strike and keeping bowlers from settling. While always reliable with both top-order batters and fellow all-rounders, at Lord’s, he revealed a new dimension—guiding the tail. Much like VVS Laxman once did, Jadeja empowered Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to contribute during crunch moments. He didn’t hoard the strike recklessly; instead, he allowed his partners to grow in confidence. Bumrah faced 54 balls in a 132-delivery partnership, and Siraj held up his end for 30 deliveries in a vital last-wicket stand.
Jadeja’s command at No. 6 or 7 underlines his transformation into a complete batter. With Washington Sundar now emerging as another high-quality spin-bowling all-rounder, India can field Kuldeep Yadav without compromising batting depth. At nearly 37, Jadeja remains supremely athletic and sharper than ever. Long underrated, he’s finally being recognized not just for his spin and fielding brilliance but also for his increasingly pivotal role as a Test match finisher. The limelight is late—but richly earned.
