The Indian team is actually quite fortunate and that’s true for all formats of the game. In the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian men’s cricket team is fortunate to have two among the best all rounders of the sport. While surely, it’s a sort of rarity to find both Ashwin and Jadeja playing for the side in the shortest form, since India picks one among the two dazzling all rounders in T20Is, where the rest of the two formats are concerned, India muscles its way over its opponents by virtue of the cricketing dexterity the two stars.
A recent example of which was felt at the much-watched and widely-followed Mohali Test match.
What the world came to see at Mohali, essentially speaking, was the king Virat Kohli. And there were never two ways about it- for it was the legendary batsman’s 100th Test match.
But guess who bossed the Test match at the heart of Punjab?
With nine wickets in the game, which included a fifer and a massive century, it was Ravindra Jadeja who became the talking point of the contest. So impressive was Jadeja in both departments of the game that he even remained unbeaten on his way to scoring a daddy century. What else are you going to label a knock that yields 175 top notch runs?
That being said, Ashwin, Jadeja’s good friend was no less in taking six wickets from the game and scoring 61 valuable runs.
But the talking point from the Sri Lankan battering at the hands of India was Ravindra Jadeja.
Now, 33, and having peaked at international cricket, Jadeja has time and again, reminded the team of his utility. Cutting no corners in the contest, the ‘swordsman’ has risen from the ashes to make himself count and it can be seen in this Rohit Sharma-led era, that Jadeja is just as precious to the Indian side as he was during Dhoni’s leadership.
Which is why one of the true greats of world cricket (not just Indian cricket), Sir Sunny Gavaskar has directed effusive praise at the mighty left-hander.
So what did the champion Test cricketer and seasoned broadcaster have to say on Ravindra Jadeja:
“I think he is recognising the talent that he has. Sometimes it takes you sometime to realise how much potential you have. He has taken his time, nothing wrong with that, and now he has started to believe a lot more that he can contribute with the bat.”
But that being told, the plaudits didn’t end there; Sir Sunil Gavaskar also mentioned the depth in Ravindra Jadeja’s batting, citing that being a key strength of the formidable all rounder. He would add, “175 not out is a big score in any class of cricket. What he said during the end of that day, that he has three triple centuries and two double hundreds. So he knows he can bat and he wants to translate it to Test cricket. Great news for Indian cricket.”
That being told, with form and fitness both on his side, do not be surprised if Jadeja too can get ahead to feature in 100 Tests. He, it ought to be reminded, yet again, is just 33.