Ravindra Jadeja – A wonderful contributor for India

Ravindra Jadeja will be key for India

Ravindra Jadeja has been the one bright spark for India on this tour. He played very well in the ODI series, even clinching a tie for his country. But has he got a fair chance in tests? He had played his last test in Durban on 26^th December 2013, taking 6 wickets for 138 runs against South Africa. His overall test record is decent, and yet he has not been a regular. So, many of his diehard fans believe that even in the two tests against the New Zealand team, the onus to bailout team India lies on him.

Another strong argument in favor of this cool and composed cricketer is that recently he has been displaying his batting skills in a rather sensible manner. Sir Jadeja will possibly be playing the most crucial role for India if he is selected tomorrow against the crucial first test. In fact, this is the last chance for India to attain face saving after a really big defeat in the ODIs. And I believe that Jadeja is the man to inspire them!

Apart from being a dependable bowler and a very handy batsman in the crises situations, he is treated as one of the best fielders of team India. The best part is that he might be able to strike well not only with his bat but also through his magical spell of bowling.

After Virat Kohli, he is one who is a matter of concern for the opponents! Perhaps it is his self esteem and deep sense of responsibility, that most of the time he plays his role successfully. Due to these qualities and his contentment, he is among the top all-rounders of the game today.

Before we move forward, I just intend to highlight his contribution – especially in the test matches. As a left arm slow orthodox bowler, he has played 6 tests wherein he has taken 33 wickets. His bowling average in tests is really commendable – 20.90. Even his economy rate is far better than many of the so called “regular bowlers”. He concedes just 2.11 runs per over! It is strange that he is not part of the Indian team every time they play!

On a personal note, I have always admired his determination and commitment. Also, Sir has got a tremendous fighting spirit, which often helps him to dominate the scene. He is able to bowl in such a controlled way that it becomes very difficult for the batsmen to score many runs.

Thus, it becomes easy for the captain to keep changing the ineffective bowlers from the other end. In fact, he is doing superbly well since 2013 – in the Champions Trophy, he was the highest wicket taker. Also, his timely innings of 33 runs off 25 balls in the final against England helped team India a lot. For this, he became the man of the match.

He is very witty, humble and has an ever smiling face. But one thing is establishing fast – he is moving on the path of justifying the title of “Sir”!