The presence of a genuine all-rounder in a team is priceless. Ravindra Jadeja proved so once again with his contribution with both bat and left-arm spin as Team India annihilated England by 434 runs in the third Test at the Niranjan Shah Stadium here on Sunday, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
Looking back, India’s decision to promote Jadeja up to No.5 when they were 33/3 on the first day morning, turned out to be a masterstroke.
The century from captain Rohit Sharma, the performances of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj with the ball in Ravichandran Ashwin’s absence on Day III, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s second innings double ton and Sarfaraz Khan’s robust half-centuries — all played a part in India’s victory. But had Jadeja, who too got a hundred, not held one end up when Rohit looked a tad flustered in the initial stages before they put on 204 for the fourth-wicket in the first innings, India would have been in bigger trouble.
“We have seen Jaddu over the years. He understands the conditions really well. He knows exactly what his game is and then he goes and does it, backs it up. Here, it was no different. Besides, this is his hometown. So he knows these conditions better,” skipper Rohit said after the match.
“Of late, if you have seen in the past couple of years, he has come out and scored crucial runs for us, whether it’s in India or overseas. He’s batting really well. His confidence is there with the bat, which is why we thought of sending him up the order.”
On Sunday, the Day IV pitch did offer a bit more turn, and Jadeja used that well enough to dismiss Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes. To Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, he bowled it full targetting the stumps and trapped them leg-before. Jadeja then got rid of tailender Mark Wood to register a fifer and bundle England out for just 122.
“With the ball there’s not much to tell Jaddu. My job is to make sure I set the right field for him,” Rohit stated.
“On this pitch, you won’t get easy wickets. You have to work hard for them. You need to land the balls in good areas and have to earn your wickets,” Jadeja, adjudged Man of the Match for his 112 and match figures of 7/92, said at the presentation.
On his performance with the bat, Jadeja said: “I always look to back my strengths, play my shots and not try to be too conscious. Watch the ball and play the ball, that’s what I look to do.”
Quite simple, isn’t it?