Of the three Indian centurions, Ravindra Jadeja (104*), Dhruv Jurel (125), and KL Rahul (100), Ravi Rampaul believed that Jadeja was the most difficult to bowl to. “I believe Jadeja was a little more aggressive, particularly against the spinners, attempting to push them off line and over the top a bit more,” the bowling coach for the West Indies stated on Day 2. Jadeja was also probably the hardest bowler. That is evident from his second innings statistics of 4 for 54.
West Indies failed to read or control him well on a surface that had relaxed significantly over the past three days and was now easier to bat on. The Roston Chase side was overwhelmed by his precision, acuity, discipline, and sting. His failure to receive a five-for was a disgrace. He was from the North End; if only Shubman Gill had used him.
On one end, there were many footmarks to take advantage of, but the India captain decided to use him from the opposite end.
It could have been because Jadeja did not have the finest pitch conditions if the Test went as long as the middle session on the middle day. The game might have concluded sooner, but that cannot be said for sure. However, that is a minor problem; commentators were constantly harping on the radio about the possibility that another bowler urged the skipper to change ends.
John Campbell was caught at forward short leg by Jadeja’s early strike in his third over (10th of the innings), and Rahul then took Brandon King’s edge in the slips. Yashasvi Jaiswal caught Shai Hope at backward point after he was tricked by additional bounce.
India had declared overnight at 448 for 5, and the three wickets in rapid succession left the West Indies reeling at 66 for 5 at lunchtime. Jadeja’s redeployment was postponed by Gill after lunch, but he reappeared in the 43rd over and caught Johann Layne at mid-off. The West Indies innings was ended by Kuldeep three overs later before Jadeja could take a five-for.
However, Jadeja, the calm operator and quiet warrior of Indian cricket, who is always understanding and never demanding, seemed unconcerned with the miss. He contributes more than himself to the team, according to a team insider who played for the Indian team for almost ten years. Contribution is more important to him than recognition. He is so laid back that in 15 years of playing international cricket, he has never once complained about the lunch or dinner menu, much less the batting position or bowling end. He’s batted as low as number nine and as high as number four.
For the coach, captain, and even the team management, Jadeja is a joy. As the vice-captain this series, he has also assumed a leadership position. As is typical of him, however, he views the post as nothing more than a title on paper. Regardless of his role as vice captain, he still adds value to the team with his contributions and thoughts.
The title of vice captain is merely something you see on paper. However, as an experienced player, I believe that what counts is whether young people approach me or if I go out and give them advice on how to improve their thinking or what they are doing incorrectly. Jadeja, the player-of-the-match for the first Test, adds, “It would make them feel much better if I went and told them instead of them coming to me and asking and I waiting for that to happen.”
There is a positive atmosphere in the dressing room where there is no distinction between senior and junior, and everyone regards one another as equals. I believe that respect always originates internally rather than externally. Indian cricket benefits greatly from the excellent environment and the way all the young players are developing together. In the next three to four years, we will be a very formidable team under any circumstances, whether they be Asian or SENA.
He has always been a valuable bowler, both threatening at home and productive on foreign fields.
He has recently elevated his batting to previously unheard-of heights. He scored 516 runs, including a century and five half-centuries, to rank fourth in the series in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. He also contributed by taking seven wickets on the flat English wickets with the ball.
He turned a close tie into a shock triumph with a seven-wicket haul in the fifth Test of the 2016 series, one of his most memorable performances against England. With a string of devastating smashes, Jadeja turned the tide of the match around when England was four wickets behind at Tea on the fifth day. In 25 overs, he concluded with 7 for 48 as England suffered a humiliatingly awful loss. Perhaps that Test was the one that cemented his status as India’s top spinner.
Back then, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar were the deputy coaches of Indian cricket’s head coach, Ravi Shastri. He is thought to have mastered the subtleties of bowling during this time, including how to employ trajectory and angles. He gained notoriety for bowling close to or away from the stumps to create diverse angles, whether over or around the wicket, while constantly changing his pace.
As the phrase goes, he would enter the Indian squad as a bowler or a hitter. His ability to score a century when needed and claim a five-fer when needed makes him the quintessential example of an all-rounder. The uncommon achievement of 4,000 runs and 350 wickets, which few all-rounders accomplish, is now only 10 runs and 16 wickets away from him.
Jadeja would rather not focus on Kapil Dev’s incredible double of 5000 (5,248) runs and (400) 434 wickets in order to avoid adding to the burden.
I’ll have to start considering ways to increase my run total by 1000 and my wicket total by 60 to 70. No, but I’m liking cricket right now. Other milestones or records are not on my mind. I’m just loving cricket and trying to become fitter. “I always work on my fitness whenever I’m at home so that I can just keep doing what I’ve been doing for so many years,” he says dismissively.
Jadeja has been an excellent player for the Indian team since the 2008–09 domestic season, when he took 42 wickets at 19.92 and scored 739 runs at an average of 67, regardless of whether he achieves Kapil’s milestone.
After that season, MS Dhoni is credited with helping to get him selected for the national team. Naturally, Dhoni was captain when he made his debut for his country in 2009 and for the Tests in 2012.
The ICC rankings have ranked him as the world’s top all-rounder in cricket for almost two years. Since 2021, he has amassed 2,064 runs and taken 118 wickets in 36 Test matches, ranking first among the best all-rounders, which includes R Ashwin and Ben Stokes. When he leaves, it would be difficult to replace him. However, Jadeja (36), who saw Ashwin replaced by Washington Sundar, is still optimistic that someone would step up.
“Ash has made numerous contributions to Indian cricket and has won many matches. I did occasionally find myself thinking, “Yeah, Ash will come on and bowl,” only to realise that he wasn’t present during a [Test] match in India that I was playing for the first time without Ash. We can’t consider Kuldeep (Yadav) and Sundar (Washy) young because they had played a lot of games, but their combination was unique.”
After then, he reflected about the situation. “In the future you will ask, Jaddu isn’t here, and someone else will be there, and this is inevitable, and it will keep happening.” He was a simpleton otherwise, saying in fewer words but with the same meaning that life and the game went on.
India
