India, July 16 -- Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara defended all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja's approach during India's tense chase in the third Test at Lord's, calling the criticism of the all-rounder's cautious batting with the tail "unwarranted" given the match conditions and the situation.

India fell short by 22 runs in a tight finish on Day 5, chasing 193 for victory. Much of the post-match debate focused on Jadeja's scoring rate while batting with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj towards the end. Jadeja made an unbeaten 61 off 181 balls, while trying to anchor the chase as wickets kept falling at the other end.

But Pujara, Jadeja's longtime teammate from junior-level cricket to the national team, offered a clear explanation for h...