"How Poorly He Bowled": Ex-England star's brutally honest take on Ravindra Jadeja's performance

Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has come down hard on Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling performance during the first Test between India and England at Leeds. Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, Butcher criticized Jadeja for failing to exploit the rough patches on the pitch, which could have troubled England’s batters, especially the left-handers. India eventually lost the match by five wickets after England successfully chased down a challenging 371-run target on Day 5.

Butcher, in particular, was stunned by Jadeja's inability to bowl into the rough areas, despite his vast experience. “I could not believe how poorly he bowled. I would liken it to owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist instead—not landing the ball in the rough at all until, basically, it was too late. That was extraordinary,” he said. He also mentioned wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s role in failing to guide the bowler effectively, adding, “Somehow, it didn't seem to click to him or Rishabh Pant, the keeper, that it might be a good idea not to keep missing the rough all day to the left-handers.”

Butcher also questioned India’s team selection, especially the inclusion of Shardul Thakur over a specialist spinner like Kuldeep Yadav. Thakur had a poor outing with both bat and ball, managing just two wickets in the match while being expensive and failing to reach double digits with the bat. “How much more interesting might that last day have been had they gone for Kuldeep Yadav instead of Shardul Thakur?” Butcher remarked, further adding, “If you are not contributing with the bat down there at No. 8, you damn well be taking wickets and be in the game as a bowler for more of the game than he was.”

India’s Missed Opportunities and England’s Clinical Finish

The Test started on a strong note for India after being put to bat, with hundreds from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), Shubman Gill (147), and Rishabh Pant (134) taking them to 471. England responded well through Ollie Pope’s 106, Brook’s 99, and Duckett’s 62, reaching 465 and conceding a narrow six-run lead. Jasprit Bumrah took a five-wicket haul but lacked support from the rest of the attack.

See Also: ENG vs IND 2025: Star India pacer likely to be available for second Test against England

India capitalized again in the second innings, with KL Rahul (137) and Pant (118) powering them to 364 and setting England a target of 371. However, a lower-order collapse meant they couldn’t stretch the lead further. England began their chase with a 188-run opening stand between Crawley (65) and Duckett (149), followed by an unbeaten 81-run partnership between Root (53*) and debutant Jamie Smith (44*), sealing the win. Duckett was named Player of the Match.