"He did what the top-order batters couldn't do" - Harbhajan Singh lauds Ravindra Jadeja's knock in BGT 2024-25 3rd Test
Harbhajan Singh has lauded Ravindra Jadeja for playing a 'terrific' knock in India's first innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 third Test. He pointed out that the spin-bowling all-rounder outshone the top-order Indian batters with the willow.
Jadeja scored 77 runs off 123 deliveries as India ended Day 4 (Tuesday, December 17) of the third Test against Australia at 252 for nine. His knock, clubbed with KL Rahul's 84 and an unbroken 39-run last-wicket partnership between Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah, helped the visitors avoid the follow-on.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan noted that although Jadeja was found slightly wanting with the ball, he more than made up for it with the bat.
"The expectations that were there with his bowling, he didn't live up to them slightly. However, in batting, he did what the top-order batters couldn't do. I will want to praise his mentality. His batting was terrific. A lot of runs were left to add when he came to bat," he said.
The former India spinner added that the left-handed batter's 77-run knock was equivalent to a century.
"The significance of these 77 runs is much more than that. Whenever I see him play, I always think why he doesn't get to bat up the order. It is beyond my understanding. He played brilliantly and with responsibility. I feel the value of his innings is equal to a hundred," Harbhajan observed.
Ravindra Jadeja walked out to bat when India were reduced to 74/5 at the fall of Rohit Sharma's wicket. He added 67 runs for the sixth wicket, with KL Rahul and 53 runs for the seventh wicket with Nitish Kumar Reddy (16) to take India closer to the follow-on target.
"He left the good balls and it wasn't that he was only looking to play shots" - Harbhajan Singh on Ravindra Jadeja's approach
![Ravindra Jadeja struck seven fours and a six during his knock. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9828a-17344303192703-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same discussion, Harbhajan Singh noted that Ravindra Jadeja was selective in his stroke play and looked largely untroubled in the middle.
"If we look at the wagon wheel, he played shots in all directions, and more importantly, he played a lot of balls. He left the good balls and it wasn't that he was only looking to play shots. It didn't seem like he got beaten even once or looked uncomfortable," he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Jadeja, much like KL Rahul, refrained from playing extravagant drives.
"He knows how to drive the game. He hit fours only when the ball was in his zone. It was the same as what we saw in KL Rahul's batting, the bat was next to the pads. He didn't lunge forward to play even a single drive. He was playing the balls that were coming to him, or else he was leaving them," Harbhajan elaborated.
Harbhajan opined that Jadeja is treated unjustly at times. He pointed out that the 36-year-old was ignored for the first two Tests of the ongoing BGT, only to return and leave his imprint on the third game.