Gutsy Jadeja claims his piece
Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com
11.07.2019
Magical knocks often get lost in the sands of time if they don’t come in a winning cause. Ten years down the line, a glance at the World Cup semifinal scoreboard between India and New Zealand will probably make a teenage cricket enthusiast shrug: “But why couldn’t he finish it?”
True, Jadeja couldn’t take India home on a gloomy Wednesday afternoon at the Old Trafford, but his 59-ball 77 gave a resounding reply to one and all who dare to call the Saurashtra man a “bits and pieces cricketer”.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s “Well done Jadeja” tweet at the end of the match could have been considered reconciliatory, had it not come with a wink. It’s probably an indication that the former India middle-order batsman hasn’t backed off from his earlier remark, but it doesn’t matter.
Jadeja has never been a purist’s delight, but the good thing about him is that he never tried to be one. Since he made his India debut ahead of his statemate Cheteshwar Pujara, the southpaw’s career has been an up-and-down journey. Not a vicious turner of the ball, he has often been India’s No. 1 spinner at home and away winning India games, and then, in no time, fell out of favour for one bad day at the office. That’s how he lost his place in the ODI team after they lost in the Champions Trophy final. But the team management at least showed the acumen to keep him in the World Cup 15, probably because of his fielding and ability to clear the fence with the bat.
All his three qualities were on display in the semifinal — 1-34, a brilliant catch and a run-out and then the innings that could so easily have been considered on par with Inzamam ul Haq’s 60 off 37 balls against New Zealand in the 1992 semifinal in Auckland when it looked all but over for Pakistan.
In the list of great World Cup innings, Inzy features prominently, even though he got out with Pakistan 35 short of victory, because they still had Javed Miandad and Moin Khan to take care of business at the end. Dhoni could have embellished this Jadeja knock too with the tag of immortality, had his bat not got jammed a few inches short of the crease.
But then, that was not to be. Dhoni, in many ways, has been Jadeja’s mentor. The left-hander wouldn’t have been the cricketer that he is if MSD had not guided him in the CSK ranks at a time when things had started going wrong for him. For years, the CSK drill that Dhoni and Jadeja had followed in steep run-chases in the Indian Premier League, was on full display at the Old Trafford. The same controlled aggression, the same wait for that one loose ball an over and the same final burst, everything was falling into place. Dhoni guided Jadeja through choppy waters, giving him the confidence to go for the kill, and how close he was!
But then every act of valour doesn’t necessarily come with the winner’s medal and Jadeja will live with it. But for all those “bits-and-pieces” professionals, this innings will be an example of a never-say-die spirit that can make you believe that nothing is impossible!
MIGHTY HEAVE: Ravindra Jadeja hoists one beyond the ropes on way to his fighting 77 on Wednesday
It was a tough game and really pleased. We had to assess conditions quickly and both sides felt it wasn’t a high-scoring track. We thought that 240-250 will help us to put India under pressure. India showed why they are a world class side when they took it really deep through MS and Jadeja. Our character was tested and we came out on top. —Kane Williamson
Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com
11.07.2019
Magical knocks often get lost in the sands of time if they don’t come in a winning cause. Ten years down the line, a glance at the World Cup semifinal scoreboard between India and New Zealand will probably make a teenage cricket enthusiast shrug: “But why couldn’t he finish it?”
True, Jadeja couldn’t take India home on a gloomy Wednesday afternoon at the Old Trafford, but his 59-ball 77 gave a resounding reply to one and all who dare to call the Saurashtra man a “bits and pieces cricketer”.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s “Well done Jadeja” tweet at the end of the match could have been considered reconciliatory, had it not come with a wink. It’s probably an indication that the former India middle-order batsman hasn’t backed off from his earlier remark, but it doesn’t matter.
Jadeja has never been a purist’s delight, but the good thing about him is that he never tried to be one. Since he made his India debut ahead of his statemate Cheteshwar Pujara, the southpaw’s career has been an up-and-down journey. Not a vicious turner of the ball, he has often been India’s No. 1 spinner at home and away winning India games, and then, in no time, fell out of favour for one bad day at the office. That’s how he lost his place in the ODI team after they lost in the Champions Trophy final. But the team management at least showed the acumen to keep him in the World Cup 15, probably because of his fielding and ability to clear the fence with the bat.
All his three qualities were on display in the semifinal — 1-34, a brilliant catch and a run-out and then the innings that could so easily have been considered on par with Inzamam ul Haq’s 60 off 37 balls against New Zealand in the 1992 semifinal in Auckland when it looked all but over for Pakistan.
In the list of great World Cup innings, Inzy features prominently, even though he got out with Pakistan 35 short of victory, because they still had Javed Miandad and Moin Khan to take care of business at the end. Dhoni could have embellished this Jadeja knock too with the tag of immortality, had his bat not got jammed a few inches short of the crease.
But then, that was not to be. Dhoni, in many ways, has been Jadeja’s mentor. The left-hander wouldn’t have been the cricketer that he is if MSD had not guided him in the CSK ranks at a time when things had started going wrong for him. For years, the CSK drill that Dhoni and Jadeja had followed in steep run-chases in the Indian Premier League, was on full display at the Old Trafford. The same controlled aggression, the same wait for that one loose ball an over and the same final burst, everything was falling into place. Dhoni guided Jadeja through choppy waters, giving him the confidence to go for the kill, and how close he was!
But then every act of valour doesn’t necessarily come with the winner’s medal and Jadeja will live with it. But for all those “bits-and-pieces” professionals, this innings will be an example of a never-say-die spirit that can make you believe that nothing is impossible!
MIGHTY HEAVE: Ravindra Jadeja hoists one beyond the ropes on way to his fighting 77 on Wednesday
It was a tough game and really pleased. We had to assess conditions quickly and both sides felt it wasn’t a high-scoring track. We thought that 240-250 will help us to put India under pressure. India showed why they are a world class side when they took it really deep through MS and Jadeja. Our character was tested and we came out on top. —Kane Williamson
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