Ravindra Jadeja is perhaps the best all-rounder in the world, claimed former India cricketer Aakash Chopra. This came after Jadeja’s brilliant all-round performance in India’s 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai.
India’s stunning victory over Bangladesh in Chennai not only gave them a 1-0 lead in the present two-match Test series, but it also showcased Jadeja’s abilities.
While Ravichandran Ashwin stole the show with a stunning century and six wickets, Jadeja’s performance was equally spectacular, with an 86-run innings and five wickets in both innings.
Chopra noted that Jadeja has continuously excelled everyone over the last few years. The left-arm spinner’s rise from a promising all-rounder to a cricketing juggernaut is nothing short of incredible.
During a conversation on Colors Cineplex, Chopra stated that Jadeja is now the best all-rounder in Tests.
“If we talk about absolute cold stats and the last two years of cricket, he is the No. 1 Test all-rounder in the world. There is no better all-rounder than him at the moment. Of course, because Ashwin scored a century and picked up a five-wicket haul in this match, it will be discussed more.
However, if you do a man-to-man comparison and see who is the best all-rounder in the world at the moment in Test cricket, it is Ravindra Jadeja. Ravindra Jadeja’s evolution has been incredible because when he started he was also a batter (just like Ashwin), an amazing fielder, and used to bowl so fast that you used to ask how would he pick up wickets,” Chopra observed.
Jadeja began his first-class career as a frontline hitter and restricting bowler. He has scored 7218 runs at an average of 45.39 in 128 first-class games, transforming three of his 13 hundreds into triple centuries.
Ravindra Jadeja has demonstrated his wicket-taking abilities in tough situations: Aakash Chopra
Chopra also stated that there was a belief that Ravindra Jadeja’s wicket-taking ability was mainly reliant on favorable conditions, but he has overturned that perspective. Jadeja demonstrated his abilities in the Chepauk Stadium, taking seven wickets against England on the penultimate day of a match in which Karun Nair struck a triple century.
Chopra observed that although Ashwin teases batsmen with his speed, Jadeja strangles them with his accuracy. He went on to say that Jadeja deserves credit for 15 to 20 percent of Ashwin’s wickets because of the pressure he applies from the other end.
Aakash Chopra signed off by saying, “There was an asterisk against his name, that if the conditions are favorable, Jaddu would pick up wickets, but if he didn’t get them (favorable conditions), then sorry. He changed it in this ground itself. He picked up seven wickets against England on the last day, the game in which Karun Nair scored a triple hundred.”
India couldn’t have won that match, only Jaddu won it for them. Ashwin was also playing but he won the game. He kept moving forward from there and now he is not a conditions-applied bowler. To validate it, the truth is that he plays more away games than Ashwin,” Chopra stated.
Jadeja will be back in action for India when they face off against Bangladesh in the second Test in Kanpur from September 27 onwards.
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