Wasim Jaffer, a former batsman for India, believes that it was essential for Ravindra Jadeja to perform a knock of the kind that he did on Friday in Birmingham to comfort himself following a terrible Indian Premier League 2022.
The all-Indian rounder’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaign was a disaster, even though it started with high expectations as he was selected to lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the next season. However, when the franchise only won two of their first eight games, he decided to give over the job of leading the team to MS Dhoni. On an individual level, he was also unable to perform effectively with either the bat or the ball and had difficulty during fielding.
On Day 1 of the Birmingham Test against England, Jadeja produced a tenacious 83 runs even though it was his first encounter since the disappointing IPL season. The all-rounder and Rishabh Pant (146), helped the visitors recover from being 98 for 5 to finish the day on 338 for 7.
What did Wasim Jaffer say about Ravindra Jadeja?
The following is what Jaffer had to say about the importance of Jadeja’s innings on ESPNcricinfo:
“Jadeja didn’t have a terrific IPL. After many events transpired inside the CSK camp, he ultimately decided to hand back the leadership. It was important for him to get off to a quick start. He has been responsible for some pretty crucial knocks across all forms. I’m over the moon pleased for him.”
According to Ashley Giles, who played left-arm spin for England in the past, the 33-year-old batsman’s innings on Friday was just as crucial as Pant’s, who scored 146 runs off 111 balls. Giles explained:
“It is difficult to acknowledge this, but Jadeja has nearly been as significant a contributor as Pant has been. Someone needed to take on the role of the anchor to let Pant play in such a manner. Because of the standing that these two players have earned, it is essential to emphasize how well they performed when they were initially brought into the game.”
While Pant smacked 19 fours and four sixes during his ambitious effort, Jadeja has patiently scored runs and has only hit 10 fours so far throughout his 163-ball innings.
