India, Oct. 11 -- For a quarter of an hour from 1.20 PM on Saturday, Ravindra Jadeja captained the Indian Test team at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Shubman Gill had dived into the shower after his fifth century in seven Tests, after three hours of exertion on the second day of the second Test against the West Indies, so Jadeja finally had his moment. Appointed vice-captain ahead of this two-match series, he enjoyed the honour of leading the national side, in his 87th Test, if only in a stand-in capacity for a very brief period.

It wasn't the culmination of a dream because, by his own admission, Jadeja stopped thinking about captaincy a long time back. His dream, understandably, is winning the 50-over World Cup. India were one rung away from...