Player Of The 2016/17 Season : Ravindra Jadeja

Mar 29, 2017 at 7:03 PM

facebook iconlinkedin iconmail icontwitter iconWhatsApp iconTelegram icon
Player Of The 2016/17 Season : Ravindra Jadeja

He might not be as destructive as the legendary Sir Garry Sobers. He might not have the stats and consistency of Jacques Kallis. He might not have even the flamboyance of a certain Andrew Flintoff. But at the end of the day, he possesses a unique set of skills, skills that make him a nightmare for the opposition, enough to make him a genuine match winner in Test matches.

The person being discussed upon is none other than India’s player of the season 2016/17 – Ravindra Jadeja. Once India commenced their home season on a pleasant morning at Kanpur on 22nd September, the pressure of playing as a heavyweight team was always there. New Zealand was bound to challenge India in several ways, as in Kane Williamson, the Kiwis were blessed with an astute leader, capable of leading from the front.

The Kiwis did play well to an extent at Kanpur and after reducing India to 262-7 on a two-paced wicket could have been in a position of dominance. But then, batting at number 9, Ravindra Jadeja stood up and played a quickfire knock of 42. His stand with Umesh Yadav for the last wicket was worth 41 crucial runs, which ultimately had a great impact.

Then with the ball, New Zealand seemed well on course at 159-2, before that very man began a procession of wickets by trapping Ross Taylor plumb in front. In the same innings, Jadeja ensured that New Zealand’s tail didn’t wag for too long and while doing so, he bowled a triple-wicket maiden to wrap up the proceedings to hand India a 56 runs lead. Post his heroics with the ball, Jadeja had another assault left in him, as he blazed his way to a quickfire 50 in the second innings. The game ultimately ended quite easily as India won by 197 runs and Jadeja was the Man of the Match.

The game at Kanpur was an instance of how crucial Jadeja was for India in the season gone by. Primarily with the ball, he was a class apart as he decimated the opposition and cleaned up the lower order without any fuss. His 71 wickets in the 13 home Tests this season, came at a stunning average of just 22.83. An X factor about his bowling was his accuracy which strangled the batsmen down. Rotating the strike against Jadeja was a cumbersome task for all batsmen as his accurate stump to stump line was hard to negate and counter. Due to tying up one end, India’s other ace spinner; R. Ashwin could attack from the very offset and have attacking fields to support him. Jadeja in so many ways provided the foundation for Ashwin to attack and tear into batting lineups.

With the bat as well, Jadeja was the perfect all rounder India needed for the season. Scoring 556 runs this season, at a batting average of 42.76, Jadeja played some handy knocks lower down the order with the tail, which provided India with a colossal strategic advantage. For instance at Mohali, in reply to England’s first innings score of 283, India was in deep waters at 204-6 once skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed.

It was in such a derelict situation, that Jadeja stood up with the bat, as he countered fire with fire. He superbly kept the English bowlers at bay on the second evening as along with Ashwin, he didn’t allow India to lose any further wickets. After surviving for a long time, Jadeja then attacked in full flow as his assault put England on the back foot. Despite missing out on a well-deserved century, his knock of 90 gave India an all important lead of 134, something which seemed highly unrealistic before Jadeja’s arrival at the wicket.

Another classic instance of his contribution with the bat was against Australia at Dharamshala in the recently concluded Test. Australia had smelt blood and could have routed India out once Ashwin was dismissed on the third evening, but Jadeja held his end. Along with Wriddhiman Saha, the southpaw guided India to safety while also playing the occasional big hits. Countering some questionable tactics from Australia, Jadeja was unflustered as his knock of 63 gave India a decisive lead of 32.

Thereby, one can say that Jadeja hasn’t tonked those elusive big scores, but his knocks have come in at extremely crucial moments for India. In the subcontinent, as the wicket continues to deteriorate as the game progresses, capturing such moments becomes decisive. A team, which eventually does so, ends up winning more games than not. Throughout the season, India did just that, thanks to the presence of Ravindra Jadeja.

Bowling wise, towards the latter end of the home season, Jadeja even began to out bowl his senior pro and partner in crime, R. Ashwin. Just as the toll of a really long season was evident on Ashwin’s shoulder, a matured Jadeja took all the responsibility of leading India’s charge with the ball, and did so efficiently. For illustration, India’s tormentor in 2012, Alastair Cook, wasn’t’ in a lot of difficulty against Ashwin and calmly went about his task with precision. But it was Jadeja, who ultimately tormented him throughout the course of 5 Tests, as he dismissed Cook for as many as 6 times.

The most promising aspect about Jadeja’s bowling this season was his ability to extract spin from surfaces that were good enough for run making and which didn’t turn as viciously. The track at Chennai, for example, was flat as a highway till the very last day and it was evident for a draw to be on cards as England just needed to bat out the entire day. Once again, it was Jadeja getting the pitch out of the equation as he took 7 wickets and a jaw-dropping catch to script England’s downfall.

With India’s home season coming to an end, where they won 10 games out of 13, they have one man to thank and thank colossally – Ravindra Jadeja. As far as an all-rounder is concerned, though, this is just the start of his brilliance, as one can expect him to continue a good job even away from home.

Related Article
Ravindra Jadeja Doubtful For 3rd Test, Still Not Fully Fit: Report
Ravindra Jadeja Doubtful For 3rd Test, Still Not Fully Fit: Report

Feb 13, 2024, 10:01 AM


Attempt To Tarnish The Image Of My Wife Is Improper: Ravindra Jadeja Hits Back At His Father
Attempt To Tarnish The Image Of My Wife Is Improper: Ravindra Jadeja Hits Back At His Father

Feb 9, 2024, 2:57 PM


He is my son, and it burns my heart: Ravindra Jadeja’s Father Opens Up On Broken Relation With Son And Daughter-in-law
He is my son, and it burns my heart: Ravindra Jadeja’s Father Opens Up On Broken Relation With Son And Daughter-in-law

Feb 9, 2024, 2:29 PM


IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja Likely To Be Ruled Out Of His Home Game Against England – Reports
IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja Likely To Be Ruled Out Of His Home Game Against England – Reports

Feb 2, 2024, 11:12 AM


IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami Likely To Be Ruled Out Of The Remainder Of The England Test Series – Reports
IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami Likely To Be Ruled Out Of The Remainder Of The England Test Series – Reports

Feb 2, 2024, 10:16 AM


IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja Likely To Be Ruled Out Of Remainder Of England Test Series – Reports
IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja Likely To Be Ruled Out Of Remainder Of England Test Series – Reports

Jan 30, 2024, 2:15 PM


Desktop Banner
Mobile Banner