Sometime in the future, Ravindra Jadeja may look back at four days in February 2024 during the third Test against England and speak on it as a great example of holding held himself together under stress. He was returning to the fray after sitting out of the second Test in Visakhapatnam on account of fitness. Worse, there was a storm raging on social media around his family.
He delivered decisive performances first with the bat and then with the cricket ball to showcase his ability to focus on the things at hand rather than let his mind be riddled with thoughts from outside. It is this skill that shone tellingly through the Test as India rallied from 33 for three to carve out the victory by a whopping 434 runs with a day to spare.
There were other heroes in the game, not the least being Rohit Sharma who ended a lean spell in Tests with a century. The other opener Yashasvi Jaiswal made a second double century in as many matches while debutant Sarfaraz Khan had two half-centuries, Shubman Gill narrowly missed a hundred and paceman Mohammed Siraj had a good burst to cut England’s first innings short.
But Ravindra Jadeja did more than enough to outshine them all and claim the player of the match award on merit rather than emotion of being the home boy in the Test.
Not a few thought India had erred in sending him to bat at No. 5 ahead of the debutant Sarfaraz Khan, but it was apparent that India used his left-handedness to blunt England’s attack on the opening morning. His double century partnership with skipper Rohit Sharma and then a 77-run fifth-wicket stand with Sarfaraz Khan helped India put England under immense pressure.
His calm presence in the middle was reassuring for skipper Rohit Sharma and frustrated England’s hopes of making a match of it. Clearly, Rohit Sharma enjoyed batting without pressure and could embrace an approach that was more Test-match rather than seem like an import of the white ball contests as he stitched together the decisive partnership.
As for Ravindra Jadeja, it was almost liked he loved being in the middle, focusing on treating each delivery on its merit. He built his innings on the twin pillars of patience and concentration – qualities that would do a monk proud – and was rewarded with a tryst with his fourth century in Test cricket.
Ravindra Jadeja’s brilliant all-round performance guides India to a thumping victory over England in the third Test at Rajkot. The all-rounder proves unstoppable on home turf.
✍🏻 @VTrips_7781#Jadeja #INDvsENG #INDvENGhttps://t.co/lWZftOHNLP
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 18, 2024
It would be a travesty if he were remembered only for being responsible for Safaraz Khan’s run out dismissal in the first innings; but even he would concede that it was the only blip in an otherwise perfect Test for him. It was, but a reminder, that perfection is rarely achieved in such a long contest.
Having delivered a well-crafted century, he then returned to take a couple of key wickets in the England first innings. The scalp of skipper Ben Stokes broke England’s resistance. Mohammed Siraj relished the opportunity and claimed three wickets while Ravindra Jadeja foxed Tom Hartley to set up Dhruv Jurel’s maiden stumping in Test cricket.
India’s command batting performance in the second essay, especially by Yashasvi Jaisal who walloped the listless England attack for a double century, meant that Ravindra Jadeja was not called to showcase his batting skills again. With doubts over R Ashwin’s return to the Test from Chennai, the orthodox left-arm spinner was being allowed the opportunity to remain fresh to bowl.
From the comfort of the pavilion, he watched Yashavi Jaiswal score a century on either side of a cramp that forced him to retire late on the third day. The manner in which the left-handed opener and Sarfaraz Khan caned the England spinners seemed to assist Ravindra Jadeja in weaving a plan in his own mind.
On a track that was far from the raging turner that England expected in all Tests ahead of the series, Ravindra Jadeja’s plan centered around bowling flat and full. The visiting batters’ belief that the sweep would be the only weapon to counter that was their undoing as he beat the bat often enough to trap a couple of batters leg before wicket.
He first tempted Ollie Pope, England’s hero in Hyderabad, to play a cut but succeeded in cramping him to force an edge to Rohit Sharma at slip. Soon, he got the umpire to award him back to back verdicts against Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow after they missed making contact when attempting ambitious and hopeful sweeps.
Then he forced another edged catch – this time to provide Dhruv Jurel with the chance to snap a faint nick from Ben Foakes – before the big hitting Mark Wood sliced the ball for Yashavi Jaiswal to run across from long-off and complete a catch and Ravindra Jadeja’s 13th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
To have done it after India was reduced to 33 for three in the opening hour and to have parked thoughts of the controversy around his family made it all the more special for him. Though he has starred in many a successful India campaign in Tests, it is a good possibility that the 35-year-old will have a special place for this match for leaving his imprint on his home ground.
Panned by the critics for their tactical missteps in the #WTCfinal and also the #WorldCup summit clash, @ImRo45 and #RahulDravid have rebounded with some notable Test wins, none more so than the triumph in Rajkot.
✍️ @BoriaMajumdar #INDvENGTest #INDvsENG https://t.co/jPAUdUME1y— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 19, 2024