Team India’s loss at Leeds has sparked widespread criticism, with many pointing fingers at various factors such as poor fielding, tailenders failing to hold the crease, and the underperformance of bowlers besides Jasprit Bumrah. Among those facing intense scrutiny is Ravindra Jadeja, not only for his on-field performance but also for a statement he made before the England Test series that has now come back to haunt him.

Prior to the series, Jadeja had remarked in a podcast with R. Ashwin that Test captaincy was easy, saying it mostly involved moving two or three fielders around. Ashwin had even advocated for Jadeja to be appointed India’s Test captain. However, the leadership role was given to Shubman Gill, who showed promise with the bat but ultimately could not prevent the team’s defeat at Leeds.

After the loss, fans were quick to criticize Jadeja for his comment. Social media buzzed with sarcastic and sharp remarks telling him that captaincy in Test cricket is one of the toughest challenges, requiring intricate strategy and leadership over five days. Many advised Jadeja to first improve his own bowling and batting before making such claims about captaincy.

In the Leeds Test, Jadeja’s performance was underwhelming — scoring just 11 runs in the first innings and an unbeaten 25 in the second, while taking only one wicket in the entire match. Critics argued that his bowling economy was too high and suggested that a more effective wicket-taking bowler like Kuldeep Yadav should replace him in the playing eleven.

As fans continue to debate Jadeja’s future role, all eyes will now be on the upcoming Edgbaston Test to see whether he can bounce back and justify his place in the team.