Published By: Sayan Guha

Jadeja-Ashwin Duo Soaked the Pressure of Top Order Failure: 3 Times When India's Lower Order Saved the Day in Tests

Ashwin and Jadeja shine again in Chennai, proving once more how India’s lower order can turn the tide in Tests

Have you ever felt terrible when your team’s top order crumbled like a house of cards? Yes, we have all been there. But the beauty of Test cricket is that it never truly ends until the final ball.

When you believe all hope is lost, someone steps forward. On the opening day of the India versus Bangladesh Test in Chennai, the dependable pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja once again saved India from a difficult situation.

Ashwin and Jadeja’s Chennai stand

India began their first innings with a wobble, to say the least. Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud ripped through the top order, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Subman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant in rapid succession. The scoreboard showed 144/6, and things were dismal. Enter Ashwin and Jadeja. These two seasoned warriors, famed for their bowling prowess, resolved to turn the tables with the bat.


Ashwin scored his sixth Test century, racing away to an unbeaten 102 off 108 balls, while Jadeja played his trademark patient game, scoring 86*. Together, they built an unbroken 195-run partnership that propelled India from severe difficulties to a dominant position of 339/6 by the end of Day 1. What a recovery. They’ve done it before, and that’s the most incredible part.

Axar Patel and R Ashwin to the rescue in Delhi (2023)

Let’s go back to 2023 and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Delhi. India was up against a formidable Australian team, and things weren’t looking good. Australia had scored 263, and India found themselves at 139/7 in response. It was one of those times when you held your breath and waited for the collapse.


But Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin had different intentions. Together, they set up an excellent 114-run stand for the ninth wicket, with Axar smashing 74 and Ashwin contributing 37. Thanks to their stand, India scored 262, falling one run shy of Australia’s total. Despite falling down, India’s comeback created the basis for a six-wicket triumph later on.

Ashwin and Jadeja’s grit at Mohali (2016)

Back in 2016, the spin pair struck again, this time in Mohali against England. India had been chasing England’s first-innings score of 283, but when Ashwin and Jadeja got together, the scoreboard read 204/6. It felt as though the wheels were coming off.


On the other hand, Ashwin hit a valiant 72, while Jadeja remained calm and finished with 90. The pair contributed 100 for the seventh wicket, lifting India out of difficulty again. After Ashwin left, Jadeja and Jayant Yadav added another 80 runs, bringing India’s total to a dominating 417. England buckled under strain in the second innings, while India quickly knocked down the 104-run target, winning by eight wickets.

Shami and Bumrah’s heroics at Lord’s (2021)

If you think lower-order partnerships aren’t entertaining, you haven’t seen Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami at Lord’s in 2021. India was facing England in the second Test, with Day 5 approaching. The team’s top order had crumbled again, and with 209/8, the match was slipping away quickly.


Bring on Shami and Bumrah. An 89-run partnership for the ninth wicket followed, which extended India’s lead to 271 and left England wholly deflated. Shami performed well, getting 56*, while Bumrah contributed 34. The partnership provided India with the needed boost, and they declared at 298. England, under pressure, couldn’t withstand the heat and were bowled out for 120, gifting India a historic 151-run victory at the home of cricket.