Sanjay Manjrekar Critiques Ravindra Jadeja After India's Test Loss to England

In the wake of India's five-wicket loss to England in the first Test, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed his support for the seamers while sharply critiquing Ravindra Jadeja's performance. Manjrekar believes Jadeja missed a crucial opportunity to capitalize on the pitch conditions, particularly on the final day. With India trailing in the series, the spotlight is now on Jadeja to improve in the upcoming matches. Read on to discover more about Manjrekar's insights and Jadeja's challenges during the match.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 26, 2025, 02:06 IST

Manjrekar's Support for Seamers Amidst Criticism of Jadeja

New Delhi [India], June 25: Sanjay Manjrekar, a former cricketer for India, has voiced his support for the Indian pace bowlers following their five-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Leeds. However, he did not hold back in his critique of Ravindra Jadeja's performance.

Despite the challenges faced by India's seamers on a pitch that offered little assistance, Manjrekar pointed out that Jadeja squandered a significant chance to make a more substantial impact, particularly on the fifth day when the pitch could have provided some help through rough patches.

“It’s not fair to be too harsh on younger players like Prasidh Krishna—there are clear areas for growth,” Manjrekar stated during the 'Match Centre Live' show on JioHotstar.

“However, I must be critical of Ravindra Jadeja. This was a final-day pitch with rough areas for him to take advantage of. While he had a couple of opportunities, we should expect more from a player of his caliber,” he added.

As India's primary spinner in the absence of Ravichandran Ashwin, Jadeja struggled to maintain pressure over extended spells and failed to generate consistent turn, despite the visible rough outside the left-hander's off stump. He concluded the match with a single wicket, that of England's captain Ben Stokes, finishing with figures of 1/104 in 24 overs during the second innings, and went wicketless in the first.

“These weren’t typical English conditions where the pitch offers nothing,” Manjrekar remarked.

“I felt he didn’t utilize the rough nearly enough—especially against Ben Duckett. He did make an effort against Ben Stokes, but it was only later in Duckett’s innings that Jadeja began to use the rough effectively. When facing experienced bowlers and seasoned batsmen, a higher level of tactical awareness is expected. I found Jadeja's performance disappointing,” he explained.

“The seamers received no assistance from the pitch, but Jadeja at least had some conditions working in his favor,” he added.

Despite his struggles, the left-arm spinner did deliver a few quality balls.

On the final day, England successfully chased down the target, led by Ben Duckett's impressive 149, along with significant contributions from Zak Crawley, Joe Root, and Jamie Smith, finishing at 373/5 in just 82 overs to secure a five-wicket victory.

India now trails 0-1 in the five-match Test series. With the series still open and the next Test promising different conditions, all eyes will be on Jadeja to elevate his performance.