Sau-rashtrian Ravindra Jadeja shines for India after IPL low

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Ravindra Jadeja has made 50 or more in a Test on 20 occasions. For a player, who India patiently waited to arrive with the bat in Tests, while plucking a bucketful of wickets with the ball, he is at a stage now where this isn’t a resurgence phase anymore. From being an all-rounder who could bat, he has fully become an all-rounder batter, who can bowl.

From having to wait for six years to get to the three-figure mark in Tests, Jadeja has since come a long way. With every series, his batting stocks have only been increasing and from making runs, which was considered a bonus, Jadeja is now constructing match-winning innings and where his presence alone makes a huge difference when it comes to the balance of the team.

When Jadeja walked in with India placed at 98/5, you would have expected nothing different from him. By now, we know, he has evolved into a reliable batter. One who is watchful — one of the most striking aspects of his innings at Edgbaston — and the one, if need be, goes for the shots while batting with the tail. It doesn’t come as a surprise anymore. Even the sword celebration is losing its novelty because you are getting to see it a lot often. It doesn’t break the internet anymore or nor does it find space on social media handles.

Yet, there was something special about Jadeja’s 104. Just a little over a month, he had left Chennai Super Kings camp hurt. There was niggle for sure, but if having to relinquish captaincy wasn’t enough, to hear MS Dhoni say he wasn’t prepared for the role despite being offered time must have been brutal to hear. It is hard to think of such a low point in his otherwise forever improving career.

As the IPL party continued, he silently left the bubble and headed back to Jamnagar, where he spent most of his time at his farmhouse in the company of his horses and the new addition — a dove. While some other players may have used interviews to plug their side of the story, there was only silence from Jadeja’s end. No cryptic social media posts or anything. It said a thing or two about the all-rounder, whose confidence even those in the national team set up feared would have taken a dent.

Yet, over the course of his knock spread across the first two days, Jadeja showed no such thing. If anything he only oozed confidence. Fully trusting game, as Rishabh Pant played an electrifying inning at the other end, Jadeja was watchful throughout. In conditions where batters’ instincts can make them poke those deliveries outside the off-stump, he was the lone batter who looked assured when it came to leaving the balls (Pant left all of one ball outside off).

If Day 1 was all about Pant, on Saturday Jadeja in the company of Mohammed Shami, completed his third Test century. Even though two perished, the last pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj had enough time to add a priceless, entertaining 41 runs off just 17 balls for the last wicket, which even saw Stuart Broad concede a world record 35 runs (the highest in Tests) as India posted 416.

Although rain played hide and seek from thereon, Indian pacers’ persistent attack reduced England to 84/5 in 27 overs. Bumrah took three wickets while Shami and Siraj chipped in with one each.

India 1st innings (338/7 overnight): Jadeja b Anderson 104, Shami c Leach b Broad 16, Bumrah (not out) 31, Siraj c Broad b Anderson 2; Extras: (b 4, lb 17, nb 14, w 5) 40 ; Total (all out in 84.5 overs) 416; FoW: 8-371, 9-375; Bowling: Anderson 21.5-4-60-5, Broad 18-3-89-1,  Potts 20-1-105-2, Leach 9-0-71-0, Stokes 13-0-47- 1, Root 3-0-23-1. England 1st innings: Lees b Bumrah 6, Crawley c Gill b Bumrah 9, Pope c Iyer b Bumrah 10, Root c Pant b Siraj 31, Bairstow (batting) 12, Leach c Pant b Shami 9, Stokes (batting) 0; Extras (b 8, lb 3, nb 5) 16; Total (5 wkts, 27 ovs) 84; FoW: 1-16, 2-27, 3-44, 4-78, 5-83; Bowling: Bumrah 11-1-35-3, Shami 13-3-33-1, Siraj 3-2-5-1.