‘He was actively looking to make things happen’ – Varun Aaron lauds Ravindra Jadeja’s batting approach on Day 1 of Edgbaston Test

Varun Aaron had criticised Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling performance on Day 5 of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. However, the Saurashtra all-rounder garnered rich praise from the former India pacer after he scored an unbeaten 41 on Day 1 of the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Wednesday, July 2.

Aaron was impressed by Jadeja’s proactive body language, as he noted that the 36-year-old was looking to rotate strike and showing positive intent. The cricketer-turned-commentator lauded Jadeja’s aggressive approach against England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.

“I thought Jaddu’s body language was brilliant. From ball one, he was looking to rotate strike, show intent, and stay mobile at the crease. He didn’t just try to grind it out ball after ball — he was actively looking to make things happen,” Aaron said while speaking on JioHotstar.

What stood out was how he approached Bashir. Normally, he’d play him cautiously, but today he took calculated risks — and that’s what mattered. He made sure the scoreboard kept moving. By the final session, India were scoring close to four runs an over — and that’s exactly where you want to be. As Ravindra Jadeja, when you’re guiding the lower order, you want to be solid but also bring some aggression,” he added.

Jadeja joined skipper Shubman Gill when India were in a tricky situation, having lost five wickets with 211 runs on the board. The tourists had lost two wickets in as many overs and needed a partnership of substance to resurrect the ship. Jadeja and Gill used their experience to bail India out of the predicament, as they stitched an unbeaten 99-run partnership off 142 balls, mixing caution with aggression.

India finished Day 1 at 310/5 in 85 overs after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 41, with Gill (114*) for company. The visitors will look to put at least a 450-plus total on the board in the first innings.