Ravindra Jadeja‘s lacklustre effort in the second ODI of the series against South Africa in Raipur on Wednesday, December 3, has drawn criticism from former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan. Despite India scoring 358 in their allocated 50 overs, Jadeja finished undefeated on 24 off 27.
Irfan recalled how, while on air during the game, he had also brought up the same problem. Given how other batters hammered the ball on a batting-friendly track at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, the former India all-rounder believed that the Saurashtra batsman ought to have taken a more aggressive approach with the bat.
“I had a single problem. The undefeated 27-ball 24 that Ravindra Jadeja scored felt incredibly slow. We warned that this could harm India during the commentary, and ultimately, it made the difference. It is obvious that the innings lacked urgency if you are in such a strong position, above 300, and everyone is hitting above a run-per-ball while you are at 88 [88.88]. “It’s okay when a slower innings occurs, but Jadeja’s intent was disappointing,” Pathan stated in a video posted on his YouTube page.
The former cricket player turned pundit went on to say that the commentary panel had predicted that dew would be crucial to the result of the match in Raipur. He ended by restating how upset he was with Jadeja’s batting performance.
It could have been done with more intention. Furthermore, I’m not saying this in retrospect. We also said that during comments. It appeared as though the ball would become wet, which is always problematic for the team in the field. The strategy for South Africa was to begin cautiously.
However, Jadeja’s failure to contribute with the bat became a source of disappointment for India, he continued.
At Vizag, the series goes to a decider.
Temba Bavuma’s team crossed the finish line with four wickets and as many deliveries remaining, defeating India despite amassing a score of more than 350. With just 41 runs conceded in seven overs, Jadeja returned as the most economical bowler for the home team. The three-match series is now knotted at 1-1 after the Men in Blue were unable to hold onto their lead.
Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s tonnes were in vain as the Proteas easily crossed the finish line. Aiden Markram’s game-winning 110 in the second innings earned him the title of Player of the Match. The Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam is set to host the series-deciding match on Saturday, December 6.
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