Ravindra Jadeja underlined his growing reputation as the world’s premier all-rounder. He was at the helm as India crushed the West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test, played in Ahmedabad. The 38-year-old cricketer not only displayed his prowess with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 104, but excelled with the ball, taking four wickets for 54 runs.
In a breath-taking exhibition of explosive hitting, all-rounder Jadeja played a key hand in guiding India to their mammoth 448-5 declared. His firing partnership with fellow Englishman Dawson ensured that the Windies had a daunting target to chase down. Jadeja proved his worth once again as a veteran player. With 334 wickets in 86 Tests with an incredible average of 25.07, he dominated every facet of the game. To add to the historical significance of this victory, it is his first time leading India’s red-ball side. He assumed this role following the retirement of fellow stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Jadeja’s performance with the ball was as good as he made mincemeat of the West Indies batting order. He opened the bowling by removing John Campbell early in the innings, followed by dismissing Brandon King and Shai Hope for single-figure scores. He wrapped up his magnificent performance by taking one more wicket, having Johann Layne caught by Mohammed Siraj. The result was that when the West Indies batted they were bowled out for a meager 146 runs as they couldn’t cope with Jadeja’s clever bowling and planning.
That game was a turning point for Jadeja. It was his first international appearance since India’s Champions Trophy triumph. With this win, he aims to build momentum for India’s upcoming tour of Australia, where he has been named in the touring party. Coming off the back of a disappointing 3-0 series defeat to New Zealand really got Jadeja and everyone else going. Now, they’re motivated to deliver the superlative best.
Leave a Reply