'You cannot trust this ... ' - R Ashwin defends Jadeja, slams experts for calling him 'slow'

India fell to England in the 3rd Test of the five-match series, but not before the visitors staged an impressive fight. After being reduced to 58/4 by stumps on Day 4, India went on to lose more crucial players in the form of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.

The batting collapse meant that all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was tasked with the responsibility of getting India past the finish line. Coming in to bat when his side was down 81/6, Jadeja put up a gargantuan effort starting alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, and then afterwards with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.While the 38-year-old managed to score an unbeaten 61, it took him 181 balls to get there. Following the game, fans and pundits alike praised his determination and perseverance to try and get India close to the target.

While the side ultimately fell short by 22 runs, the highest-ranked all-rounder made sure that he put up a fight. Despite his best efforts, Jadeja was also criticized for his excruciatingly slow and cautious approach.

However, Jadeja's former teammate and former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came to his defense.The spinner defended Jadeja, stating that it was technically difficult for the player to score flashy shots put up an aggressive innings.

"For the experts that say that he could have shown more intent, I ask, how many times has a batter gone down the ground and went into the dressing room? You cannot trust the bounce or pace of this pitch. All the fielders were standing back. What option does Jadeja have?" questioned the veteran, speaking on his YouTube channel "Ash ki Baat".

Ashwin continued to state his case for Jadeja, saying that he could have played a six or boundary only if he made clean contact with the ball.

His other two options were either a lap sweep or reverse sweep against pace. "I felt he played the correct numbers. Ben Stokes' captaincy was very good. He said 'There's 70 runs. If you want to score one run per over and make this score, please do.'" said Ashwin.

Lauding the England skipper's tactics for not bringing his fielders inside, Ashwin also gave credit to the Indian tailenders for staying committed to the slow and cautious approach. While the game may have gone England's way in the end, Ashwin stressed that India are much better in terms of skill as compared to the hosts. However, he mentioned that the thing holding them back is 'pressure'.