India vs Australia: 'Saviour' Ravindra Jadeja wins hearts but Gautam Gambhir receives flak from fans for ignoring selection

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India vs Australia: Ravindra Jadeja emerged as India's lone warrior, scoring a gritty unbeaten 65* as fans hailed him as the team's "saviour" during the rain-hit fourth day of the third Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

While India stumbled to 201/7, trailing by 244 runs, Jadeja's fighting knock drew widespread praise, with supporters flooding social media to applaud his composure under pressure and question Gautam Gambhir's earlier decision to drop him.

Twitter erupted in admiration for the all-rounder. "Ravindra Jadeja's batting average in Australia is 56.50. Literally more than many proper batsmen and cl*wn coach Gambhir dropped him for the first two Tests!" a fan fumed. Another remarked, "No sympathy, no excuses, no failures-just pure performance and dedication. That's Sir Ravindra Jadeja for you."

India's top order struggled to counter Australia's disciplined bowling attack. KL Rahul was the lone bright spot early on, scoring a hard-fought 84 before Nathan Lyon dismissed him. As wickets fell regularly, Jadeja anchored the innings, displaying impeccable control against the likes of Lyon and Pat Cummins. He initially found support from Nitish Reddy, but Cummins' peach of a delivery clean-bowled Reddy after rain briefly interrupted play, leaving India at 201/7.

Fans continued to marvel at Jadeja's resilience and versatility. "If Ravindra Jadeja's performance doesn't come from bowling, it comes from batting. If not batting, then fielding. Greatest all-rounder and saviour for a reason 😎," wrote one user. Another pointed out, "98% control rate in this innings despite India's struggles! Ravindra Jadeja is pure class."

Criticism of Gambhir intensified, with fans scrutinizing his selection choices. "Gambhir dropped Jadeja for two Tests, Ruturaj Gaikwad from T20s, and brings in players on quotas. Worst Indian coach ever," another tweet read. Many highlighted Jadeja's consistency, with one fan stating, "The biggest tragedy of Indian cricket is they don't know Jadeja's worth as a Test batsman. Easily among the top 10 in the world."

Cricket analyst Bharat Sundaresan perfectly captured the sentiment, saying, "Always wonder why Jadeja isn't mentioned when discussing the classiest left-handers in world cricket. Forget easy, he's soothing on the eye."

With the follow-on looming, India's hopes now rest on Jadeja's shoulders. Whether he succeeds or not, his performance has already won the hearts of millions.