If only Jadeja would’ve trusted Bumrah more

Another Test match and again it went down to the wire on the final day What a rollercoasterFirstly full credit to the ground staff for preparing a pitch that had enough spice for the seamers to stay interested throughout And just when it looked like the game was drifting away from India Washington Sundar brought us right back into it on Day 4 with four crucial wickets using his offspinThat set up a perfect scenario mdash low target to chase an unpredictable pitch and a mountain of pressure that doesnrsquot just test skills but gets into your head And thatrsquos where it got trickyDoubt and fear crept inInstead of sticking to the basics and playing with calm intent the Indian batters seemed to let doubt and fear creep in The pitch started playing on their minds more than the ball In the fourth innings chasing even a small target is never easy mdash it becomes a mental battle And under pressure even the smallest mistakes start to feel massiveRishabh Pantrsquos run out before lunch wasnrsquot the real turning point What followed after is where things began to shift He was looking good well set so once he got out the atmosphere in the dressing room changed Itrsquos up to the support staff to keep things relaxed and positive at such moments If they canrsquot then the silence the stiff looks the lack of words mdash everything gets magnified And that creates pressure which is felt by everyone in the room This tension spreads fast players start doubting themselves and it becomes difficult to stay calm and think clearly out in the middle For me the noise inside the dressing room mdash the glances the quiet blame mdash is louder and more damaging than what experts or commentators say outsideKL Rahul was batting well mdash looked calm in control and for a while it felt like he might just take India over the line But somewhere along the way he went into a shell He was possibly trying too hard not to make a mistake instead of trusting his natural game and instinctsThe English bowlers understood the situation perfectly They knew that once the ball gets soft after about 25 overs batting becomes easier You could see the urgency in how they worked on shining the ball trying to keep it harder for longer For India the key was to survive that initial spell but in trying to play too safe too early we may have missed the window to push backConstructive criticism onlyI believe that a lack of effort or intent can be questioned but honest mistakes made while trying to do the right thing should be understood and accepted This team is young and learning Mistakes are part of the journey Criticism should be constructive And when a player gives it his all but still falls short he deserves empathy mdash not judgement Only then will they grow Only then do boys become men in Test cricketComing to the final moments Ravindra Jadeja is someone Irsquove known since his U19 days at the National Cricket Academy Even back then he showed maturity beyond his age Hersquos a smart cricketer calm under pressure but this time maybe the fear of failing or the pressure of not trusting the tail got the better of him If only he had trusted Jasprit Bumrah a bit more mdash especially when Bumrah was defending so well mdash and resisted taking that single off the fourth ball to retain strike Had he backed himself to finish it in those last two balls with the field up it was a perfect moment to go for the boundaryIt wasnrsquot easy for EnglandThe English team wasnrsquot exactly cruising either Their main spinner was off the field injured Jofra Archer wasnrsquot bowling Stokes was pushing through a long tiring spell One aggressive stroke couldrsquove changed the entire mood thrown England off their plans And who knows it mightrsquove handed India a famous winIndia did not lose because of a lack of skill or fight They played well but lost out on strategy and decisionmaking in crunch moments England on the other hand held their nerve stuck to their plans and executed better when it mattered mostItrsquos a tough loss but also a valuable one because these are the matches that teach you the most Cricket has its own way of writing scripts And this one unfortunately didnrsquot go our way These moments hurt but they also shape character and thatrsquos what Test cricket is all about Itrsquos not just a game of skill but a test of temperament courage and belief Team India should remember Bob Marleyrsquos super hit song ldquoGet up Stand up donrsquot give up the fightrdquoThe author was part of Indiarsquos 1983 ODI World Cupwinning team