Indian cricket crew’s multifaceted player, Ravindra Jadeja, subtly voiced his opinion about his part on the team. He mentioned that his thought process is similar to a team leader’s, even though he doesn’t hold that title. At the age of 34, Jadeja’s job goes past being a regular player. He breaks up partnerships with his bowling skills and contributes an additional 30-35 runs towards the end.
On Sunday, Ravindra Jadeja delivered a remarkable all-round effort in India’s 243-run victory against South Africa in the 2023 World Cup match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He batted for an unbeaten 29 off 15 balls and then raced down the Proteas batting order with scores of 5/33.
India batted first and had 326/5 on the board, with Virat Kohli hitting his 49th ODI century. South Africa were subsequently bowled out for 83 in 27.1 overs, ending the Men in Blue’s amazing World Cup journey.
During the post-match news conference, Ravindra Jadeja discussed his position in the squad, saying:
“From the first day, I think like a captain but it is another thing that I am not the one. As an all-rounder, scoring 30-35 runs and being a partnership breaker, that’s the role I have. I always try to give an impactful performance.”
“And I never take fielding for granted. I can also miss a catch, so I am always prepared that if I get a catch, I don’t relax on the field. So, I just keep trying. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. But I keep trying.”
Ravindra Jadeja
Prior to his spectacular performance against South Africa, the cricket star at 34 had been consistently pitching valuable wickets in multiple previous games. He also made noteworthy contributions in matches with New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
While reviewing his amazing feats, Ravindra Jadeja confidently shared that he is pleased with all his effort.
“My rhythm has been good in the last few games and I am happy that I am able to contribute for the team in important games. I am delivering with both bat and ball. I will be more confident about my own game in the coming matches,” the versatile cricketer said.
Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja’s undefeated innings of three fours and a six on Sunday gave India the upper hand in the death overs.
“If fast bowlers are getting a couple of wickets upfront, it becomes easier for the spinner” – Ravindra Jadeja
The left-arm spinner also credited pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj for making life easy for India’s slow bowlers by hitting early blows.
“Whatever track you play on, if fast bowlers are getting a couple of wickets upfront, it becomes easier for the spinner because the new batters can’t play shots straight up and spinner becomes more confident while varying speeds and using more subtle variations. Hope we can continue like this in knock-outs,” the all-rounder concluded.
Ravindra Jadeja
The left-arm spinner also credited pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj for making life easy for India’s slow bowlers by hitting early blows.