Former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja showered praise on Ravindra Jadeja for his consistent performances in the Anderson-Tendulkar series against England after India’s thrilling six-run win at the Oval. Jadeja said the all-rounder’s performance was even more consistent than captain Shubman Gill.
The left-hander delivered consistently while batting in the lower order and played a key role for the team. Jadeja aggregated 516 runs in five Test matches against England at an impressive average of 86. Furthermore, the left-arm orthodox spinner scalped seven wickets in five games at an average of 72.43.
Ajay Jadeja said on Sony Sports, “Is anything required to be said? The man has shown you what he can do. I think outstanding. Shubman Gill has scored 754 runs, and you are saying that he has reached close to the best. He (Ravindra Jadeja) has scored nearly 550 runs.”
“He has been more consistent than even Shubman Gill. He had four innings that didn’t end, because the batting ended from the other end. In the entire series, there were only two innings where he got out early,” he added.
The former Indian captain recalled Jadeja’s fighting knock at Lord’s whereas he scored 61 runs off 181 balls. The southpaw also scored a crucial knock of 107 runs at Old Trafford to help India draw that game.
“If we try to remember his moments, it started with Lord’s, where you couldn’t win for sure, but he and (Mohammed) Siraj fought there. A change was seen there. The fortitude started from there. Then he kept standing in the next match and drew the match. Then he scored runs in this match (last Test) as well,” he observed.
Meanwhile, Ajay Jadeja picked Ravindra Jadeja’s dismissal of Joe Root in first innings at Manchester as the moment of the Anderson-Tendulkar series.
“He has kept improving his batting. In the last few years, he has become a solid player. However, for the last 13 or 14 years, we always talk about his bowling as ‘condition applied’ in overseas conditions. The batting is there for sure, but the ball he bowled to get Joe Root out was the moment of the series for me,” he said.
The former Indian batter noted that Joe Root was completely bamboozled despite being settled at the crease.
“That is the biggest improvement in his game. He plays overseas, but for his batting. However, you deceived the best batter in the world with flight and left him stranded halfway down the pitch after he had scored a hundred. That is Ravindra’s moment for me,” Ajay Jadeja observed.
Jadeja has been performing consistently, especially with the bat in the last few years and he would want to carry the good show.
