Jadeja man for all seasons
Ranchi, March 17: India’s Ravindra Jadeja made two important points with his seventh five-wicket Test haul on Friday — that he is not in the team just to play second fiddle to spin colleague R. Ashwin and that he does not need dustbowls to succeed.
If India are still in the third Test against Australia, it is largely due to the indefatigable leftarm spinner who came up with a lion-hearted effort to restrict the tourists.
Jadeja bowled more than one third of his team’s total overs, claimed 5-124 and effected a spectacular run-out with his back to the stumps to wrap up the Australia innings.
The 28-year-old became the leading wicket-taker in the four-Test series, overtaking off-spinner Ashwin, who has taken only one in the match. Jadeja is level on points with Ashwin at the top of the ICC rankings for Test bowlers and the bearded all-rounder with tousled hair proved why.
“I think Jaddu is the kind of bowler whose bowling style suits all kind of wickets. The kind of variation he has, he never moves away and bowls tirelessly at the same spot,” teammate Umesh Yadav said.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke expressed a similar view on Twitter. “Once again 5 wickets for Jadeja. On a wicket that hasn’t had much spin or bounce in this first innings he has been a class above,” Clarke tweeted. — PTI