England currently leads by 154 runs, and with eight wickets left, India's chance at a consolation win will likely depend on how Jadeja fares on the crumbling pitch.
India saw a spark of hope on the third day thanks to a partnership between Jadeja and debutant Hanuma Vihari, who scored 56. This came after Jadeja's strong showing of 4/79 in the first innings. It suggests India should have opted for a second spinner, much like in the Southampton Test where Moeen Ali took nine wickets and India lost by 60 runs while relying on an injured Ashwin.
Reflecting on the 77-run stand between Jadeja and Vihari, England's assistant coach Paul Farbrace noted that while a catch was dropped early on, Jadeja's individual performance was simply superb.
Farbrace described him as a dangerous and exceptional all-rounder, noting that England would be quite happy he only played in this last game given his skill with the bat, ball, and in the field.
Farbrace praised him as a fantastic cricketer who once again proved his quality today by taking vital wickets, fielding brilliantly, and batting at a high level.
While Jadeja narrowly missed out on his first Test century, attention turns to Alastair Cook; if he secures one last hundred, he will become only the 50th player in the history of Test cricket to achieve that milestone.