Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has singled out Ravindra Jadeja's batting approach as a crucial factor in India's narrow defeat to South Africa in the second One Day International. The match, played on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, saw South Africa chase down a mammoth target of 358 runs in the final over.
Pathan's Critique: Lack of Urgency in the Death Overs
While India's innings was powered by magnificent centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad, and a blistering cameo from KL Rahul, Pathan expressed disappointment with Ravindra Jadeja's knock. The left-hander remained not out on 24 runs but consumed 27 deliveries to get there.
"There was one issue for me. Ravindra Jadeja’s innings, which was 27 balls for 24 not out, felt extremely slow," Pathan stated on his show 'Seedhi Baat'. He emphasized that his observation was not made with hindsight, as he and other commentators had raised the concern during the live broadcast itself.
Pathan argued that with the team in a commanding position above 300 runs, and other batters striking at over 100, Jadeja's strike rate of under 90 lacked the necessary intent. "During commentary we were saying that this could hurt India, and in the end that became the difference," he added.
The Context: A Missed Opportunity for a Bigger Total
Pathan elaborated that India's final score of 358, while substantial, could have been closer to 370 had there been more urgency from Jadeja in the middle. He praised the South African bowlers, particularly for their disciplined spell between the 39th and 49th overs where they conceded only 55 runs, effectively pulling the game back.
"The way Lungi Ngidi started, and the way he finished, was very different. KL Rahul made 18 runs in the final over, and his innings was magnificent. But it was crucial how South Africa pulled things back. That made the difference," Pathan noted on his YouTube channel, giving credit to the opposition.
The Winning Chase and the Final Verdict
In pursuit of 359, South Africa's chase was anchored by superb batting from Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Matthew Breetzke, and Dewald Brevis. Their collective effort saw the Proteas home with just balls to spare, highlighting how every run saved or scored in a high-scoring encounter matters.
For Pathan, the equation was simple. In a game where the margin was razor-thin, Jadeja not pulling his weight with the bat became a disappointing factor for India. He concluded that while a slow innings can sometimes be acceptable, the visible lack of aggressive intent in that situation was what stood out and, ultimately, proved costly for the Men in Blue.
