Ahead of India vs. West Indies’ second Test match in Delhi, Parthiv Patel has spoken candidly about Ravindra Jadeja‘s all-around skill. The former wicketkeeper-batter called Jadeja “India’s greatest all-rounder,” saying he is “far ahead” of players like Shakib Al Hasan, Pat Cummins, and Ben Stokes.
In Ahmedabad, Jadeja gave a standout performance as Player of the Match, scoring his sixth century in the format and taking four wickets in the second innings as India crushed their opponents with an innings-and-140-run victory.
Observing Jadeja’s batting style has been outstanding. His acceptance of responsibility since being named vice-captain is largely responsible.
The Indian management had already shown faith in him before that, pushing him to assume responsibility with the bat and bat flexibly in the order, whether it was at five, six, or seven. That kind of trust from the dressing room alters your perspective.
Even though he is essentially an all-round player and can take wickets, his batting contributions have grown to be extremely crucial. He displayed maturity under pressure in the tenacious draw against England, which was his strongest innings in recent months. His ability to stay not out without losing his wicket and his good footwork were crucial components of this Test match.
Without a question, Jadeja is the best all-around player in India. I anticipate him to reach 400 wickets and 4,000 runs before the conclusion of his career, which would be an incredible accomplishment, given he is currently close to 4,000 runs and 335 wickets. There is no question about his status as the best all-around player in the world right now. As names like Shakib Al Hasan, Pat Cummins, and Ben Stokes appear, Jadeja is far in front. What distinguishes him is his remarkable consistency as a batter and bowler in every situation. He is currently the best all-round player in the world because of his consistent play, not just his flashes of genius.
Kuldeep Yadav’s performance in the first Test match was also praised by Parthiv, who said that he looked exceptionally rhythmic and gave the West Indies hitters no clues.
“Kuldeep Yadav gave a remarkable performance. Opposition isn’t always the obstacle. Sometimes it’s just getting back into rhythm. Kuldeep prioritises how the ball leaves his hand, based on my conversations with him. It makes no difference if the ball is red or white when that release is good. His setup against Roston Chase in the second innings of this match was particularly outstanding. His use of three wrist spinners and the addition of the googly demonstrated his bowling control. Hardly a single delivery was loose. His degree of consistency suggests that he is highly skilled at what he does.
The fact that the squad won on a balanced pitch rather than a rank-turner, which has become the norm in Test matches in India in recent years, was the team’s greatest strength, Parthiv added.
“India’s primary lesson from the first Test was that they didn’t use a rank-turner, which hasn’t happened very often since the England series in 2016.” The clinical all-around performance was a welcome change. Although the West Indies may not be the most formidable team right now, India still believes that you must go out there, carry out your plans, and support your abilities. Despite early challenges from the West Indian bowlers with the new ball, India proved to be the superior team throughout this Test.
India has limited time between the end of the second Test and the start of the white-ball series against Australia, thus Parthiv, when asked about his team’s selection plan ahead of the second Test against the West Indies, said it will be a “tricky” decision. Since he is not included in the ODI team, he predicted that India would use Jasprit Bumrah, and that all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy might take Mohammed Siraj’s position, who will play in the 50-over matches in Australia.
It’s a complex problem. In the ODI series against Australia, Jasprit Bumrah is taking a break, but I anticipate seeing him in the second Test. In addition to replacing Mohammad Siraj in Australia for the ODIs, Nitish Kumar Reddy might also be considered for the South Africa series. Nitish should be used more as a bowler and batting for the second Test, in my opinion.
He was able to bowl a couple overs on Day 3 of the most recent Test match, but he was not given enough opportunities. The Indian government might investigate that. With Sai Sudharsan at number three and the present batting lineup, Devdutt Padikkal may have to wait for his opportunity. As soon as the chance presents itself, Sai Sudharsan must seize it.
After India’s crushing victory in the first Test of the series, all eyes will be on the second Test, which begins on October 10 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
India
