ENG vs IND, 2nd Test: Jadeja says deeper batting order ‘of big help’ outside India, lauds Gill for double century

India’s strategy to pack its team with batting all-rounders was to give the side added help in putting up giant totals.

On the second day of the second Test against England here, it bore fruit as Ravindra Jadeja scored 89 (137b, 10×4, 1×6) batting at No. 7 and Washington Sundar made 42 (103b, 3×4, 1×6) at No. 8, and India, propelled by skipper Shubman Gill’s monumental 269 (387b, 30×4, 3×6), put up 587.

“Outside India, batting [by the lower-order] is of big help,” Jadeja said on Thursday. “It is challenging, and I took it that way. If you play with the captain and make a big score, it gives you confidence.”

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Jadeja, who is playing his 82nd Test and is the senior-most cricketer in this squad, praised Gill.

“He looked very confident. While he was batting, it didn’t look like he was the skipper and that there was added responsibility. It didn’t seem like he was going to get out.”

Jadeja and Washington are two spinners India has for this match, but the former stated that there was not much help for them from the turf yet.

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“Not one ball has spun hard in two days,” Jadeja observed. “Wicket is good for batting, and the fields have to be in and out because there are high chances of boundaries.

“We have to keep it tight, create doubts in the batters’ minds and hope it [the ball] goes up and down on day three. And scoreboard pressure will always be there.”