Not many Indian players have enjoyed their stay in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 return, except the left-arm spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who went through the batting line-up of Delhi with his incredible performance with the ball. Very few teams used the home advantage, like Saurashtra, who found the spin-to-win mantra.
The additional advantage for them was the return of Ravindra Jadeja, as they aim two outright victories in the successive games of the group stage. The rules and regulations of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have pushed many Indian players to be available for the sixth round of the red-ball domestic competition.
Delhi, on winning the toss, decided to bat on a surface that was expected to break a lot as the game progressed, making the batting incredibly hard. They had a good start in the contest, finding them 92/3 in the first sessions, before they lost their international campaigner, Rishabh Pant, and the entire batting department fell like a pack of cards.
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Ravindra Jadeja had a poor time with the ball in the three Tests against Australia in the recent Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, where he picked up only four wickets in three innings, But his batting was valuable for the visitors. The 77-run knock during the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane ensured India won’t followed on by the Pat Cummins-led side.
Ravindra Jadeja picks up 12 wickets to celebrate Saurashtra’s bonus-point victory
The 36-year-old returned with an impressive figure of 5/66 in 17.4 overs in the first innings, as they bundled out the tourists for just 188 runs in the first innings at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. The wicket-keeper opening batter, Harvik Desai, smashed 93 runs in 120 deliveries at a strike rate of nearly 80 before Ravindra Jadeja came to contribute with the willow.
The left-handed batter drilled 38 crucial and aggressive runs, thanks to a couple of boundaries and three sixes at a strike rate of 105.56. Arpit Vasavada nailed 62 runs to push the home side to 271 in their first innings. Apart from the Delhi captain, Ayush Badoni, none could stand up with the blade, as they were folded up for 94 runs in their second innings.
Ravindra Jadeja celebrated another five-wicket haul with seven wickets in the second innings for 38 runs in 12.2 overs at an economy rate of around three. It took Saurashtra just 19 deliveries to chase down the score of 15 runs with 10 wickets in hand, as they earned a bonus point to reach a third position from the bottom half of Group D.
The veteran has now claimed 554 wickets in 245 first-class innings at an average of 24 and a strike rate of nearly 56, with the help of 36 five-wicket hauls and 23 four-wicket hauls. With the bat, he now has smashed 7504 runs in 201 innings at an average of 43.62 and a strike rate of 57.78, thanks to his 39 fifties and 13 centuries.
He is not expected to feature for their next home game against Assam, starting on January 30 because the ODI series at home against England starts on February 06. However, a spinning track could be a possible reason to expect the game to end in two days.
Ravindra Jadeja will be aiming to carry the same touch with the ball in the bilateral series and the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, where India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.