From being trolled as ‘Sir Jadeja’ to actually lording over the game in its longest format with both bat and ball, Ravindra Jadeja has come a long way.
Scoring 63 in the first session in the decisive Test to give India the lead and then picking up three wickets as the Australian batting collapsed, Jadeja admitted that the 32-run lead made all the difference.
“It depends a lot on the conditions. Sometimes when the pitch is uneven and provides a lot of bounce and movement or there is swing and seam off the cracks, even 20-30 runs are too much. Also, there is no fear of being on the backfoot when we bowl in the second innings. The bowlers are without pressure. Bindaas daal sakta hai ,” he said.
Inarguably, the ‘Most Valuable Player for India’ this series, Jadeja’s form through the season has been incredible. The Saurashtra batsman repeatedly asked about his sixth half-century and crucial partnership with Wriddhiman Saha. And he kept saying it was “nothing special”.
“At that time, runs were important; there wasn’t much batting after me and Saha; so we talked about getting close to 300 together before thinking of going for the big shots. It was a bit tough in the beginning. We often talk of such conditions but today I was actually facing the real challenge of Test cricket,” he shrugged.
Asked about his bowling, Jadeja said, “this shoulder is now on automode, everything happens by itself. But it feels good that I am doing well in Tests,” he added.
Told about the ‘MVP’ tag, Jadeja was modest. “It feels very good if people consider me a responsible member of the team. Every player works hard to contribute whenever required — whether with batting, bowling or fielding,” he said.
Downcast Hick
Graeme Hick was downcast as he walked into the media room at the end of third day’s play.
“I think our side has been guilty throughout the series. You know when you come here that there is a danger of losing wickets in clumps. I wouldn’t be critical of guys who, in a way, get out cheaply. I think if I look back over this game and one or two others in the series, I will say we missed our opportunities,” he admitted, while also conceding that the game was all but over.
“There is pin-drop silence in the Australian dressing room. It’s been a very disappointing day. The boys are pretty down but they will give it a good crack in the morning,” he said.
While admitting that the Australians did not bat well, Hick also credited the Indian bowlers for their performance. “I think the skipper’s dismissal was a bit unfortunate, but I think Umesh Yadav bowled really well. It was tough up front, Jadeja bowling into the rough, Ashwin bowled really well. As I said, we didn’t just put the pegs in the ground and swallow up the pressure. The momentum just kept going with India,” he said.
