Track record: Jadeja shows his worth again

Sabi Hussain

tRIBUNE nEWS sERVICE

kanpur, september 24

Before the start of the third day’s play, coach Anil Kumble was engaged in a long discussion with Ravindra Jadeja. With India struggling to get back into the game, there was a need for left-arm spinner Jadeja and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to come up with something special.

Kumble accompanied the Saurashtra player to the pitch and showed him foot marks around the off-stump area from where Jadeja could bowl good length deliveries, maintaining the stump-to-stump line. He also explained to Jadeja how to bowl angular deliveries.

It seemed the precious advice worked wonders. Jadeja picked up his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests on Saturday. This was also Jadeja’s third consecutive five-wicket haul in first-class matches.

“He asked me to put the ball in rough areas and look for angles. He asked me to bowl wide off the crease. There were a lot of foot marks around the off-stump area. He told me that those marks will have a bearing on batsmen’s minds,” Jadeja said later. Jadeja is synonymous with accuracy. He is unyielding on that part. He can also contribute effectively with the bat lower down the order, especially coming after a 10-wicket haul in the Duleep Trophy final recently.

Against South Africa, Jadeja (19) and Ashwin (31) had scalped 50 of the 70 wickets that fell in the series. Jadeja’s biggest asset is his line and length. He is quicker through the air and uses the crease well. His angled-in deliveries are sometimes difficult to pick. “I have been playing on these pitches for so many years. Since my U-14, U-16, U-19 days, I have played on similar pitches in the same conditions. We have also played on under-prepared pitches, so that gives you the experience. I know these surfaces well,” he said. In 32 Test innings, Jadeja has taken 76 wickets. Of these, 55 have come at home and 21 outside India. He has played 10 Tests at home, including the ongoing one.

Jadeja is one who thrives in the Subcontinent conditions, but so far has not weaved the same magic on away tours. Today, the Black Caps batsmen found it extremely difficult to play him. The way he ran through the New Zealand lower order showed his utility once again.

“We knew we had to get that one wicket and the rest would follow. They were trying to play the shots and we knew they will make mistake sooner than later. We bowled from outside the off-stump, built pressure and executed our plans well,” he signed off.