Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul were the key players who prevented India from facing a potential defeat in Brisbane, with the two batters holding the fort and raising hopes of avoiding a follow-on against Australia at the Gabba. Rahul top-scored with 84 runs, while Jadeja’s 25th Test half-century added some much-needed stability to India’s first innings as they aimed to force a draw. Jadeja partnered with Rahul shortly after Day 4 play began, following yet another failure from captain Rohit Sharma, who was dismissed for 10 by Pat Cummins, caught by Alex Carey. The pair added 67 runs for the fifth wicket before a stunning catch by Steve Smith at slips sent Rahul back, just 14 runs shy of a century.
However, the standout performance was from Jadeja. Playing his first Test of the series, Jadeja showcased his iconic sword celebration after reaching his third fifty in Australia. His impressive knock left fans questioning why he had been sidelined for the first two matches. India had opted for Washington Sundar in Perth and replaced him with Ravichandran Ashwin in Adelaide, but neither all-rounder made a significant impact. Sundar scored 4 and 29 with the bat and took three wickets, while Ashwin managed just 1 wicket and scored 22 and 7.
Though Jadeja went wicketless, conceding 52 runs with the ball, his performance with the bat justified his No. 1 all-rounder ranking. This was a significant contribution India had been lacking, especially in the day-night Adelaide Test with the pink ball. The decision to leave the world’s top-ranked all-rounder out of the first two matches raised questions, and now, with Jadeja proving his worth, criticism has been directed at Gautam Gambhir for his earlier stance.
